Click Click Bang
by w3llthatdidntwork
Summary: In a AU that set before Root and Shaw meet in canon. Shaw still works for Control and Root is still a hacker/assassin who is threatening a small piece of national security. Shaw is sent to kill Root and knows how to get her attention.
1. Chapter 1: Click Click Bang

**Summary:** AN au set before Root and Shaw meet in canon. Shaw still works for Control and Root is still a hacker/assassin who is threatening a small piece of national security. Shaw is sent to kill Root and knows how to get her attention.

 **Chapter 1: Click Click Bang**

 _Tic. Stomp. Toc. Stomp!_

The clock to Root's left tics as the seconds pass by but so does an annoying cluster of clicks and thumps from the room above her. Root is sprawled out on her couch in her tiny apartment, her laptop resting safely on her outstretched legs. She's attempting to hack into the bank account of a prominent but crooked politician. Well, trying to anyway. The noise from above is too much and its three in the morning. Root has been awake for over twenty four hours and all of this noise is a little too much.

"Do me a favor and stop that," she mumbled to no one in particular, pausing for a second with the hope of whoever it is to somehow comply to her request. The noise seems to stop. Root hums to herself in satisfaction and goes back to focusing on her computer. The silence only lasts for a minute when the clicking and thumping continues. Root groans, she is so close to finishing this job and she only has a small pocket of time. Once she gets paid, she is definitely moving out of this apartment even if she's only been in this one for less than a week.

She tries to concentrate back on her work but ten minutes later she's had enough. Gently, she places the laptop on her coffee table and grabs her leather jacket from her closet before heading out the door. Before she knows what she is doing she's standing at the front of her neighbors apartment, the loud clicking and thumping continuing as she stares blankly at the residence. Root's arm seems to move itself and she knocks. She can hear a pause before the clicks and thumps make their way to the door. The sound of a key being turned is heard and the door swings open.

"Who the hell are you?" A woman on the other side of the door is now staring at her.

Root can feel her breath catch. She doesn't respond to the question, she's too busy taking in the sight before her. The woman is wearing high heels all right (the source of all that noise) a corset, tight high stockings, and carrying a whip. Root is wondering if she's dreaming.

"Hey, Earth to major Tom, you still there?" the woman almost growls, she's staring at Root expectantly. She looks angry.

"I came here to complain about all the noise but I guess there is nothing to complain about," Root started as she gave the woman another once over. The woman caught her look, Root was making it very obvious that she was checking her out. "I'm Root by the way, I live in the apartment right under yours," she'd expected to get the door slammed in her face by now but the woman wasn't making any indication that she was going to.

"Uh-huh," She replied and rolled her eyes at Root's come on's. She walked back into her apartment and sat down on a wooden chair across from the front door, the whip she was carrying dropped to the side of the chair. "Are you going to come in or are you just going to stand there and let the flies in?"

Root, not being one to pass up a great opportunity took the woman up on her offer and walked in the door, and closed it behind her. She's not exactly sure what to make of this situation. Warning bells are going off in her head but she ignores them. Everything about this situation is strange, from the hours of loud stomping to being met by a beautiful woman who just so happens to be in full BDSM gear... or lack of gear to be more precise.

As Root walked in the apartment, it was pretty much bare. There were only two wooden chairs facing towards the door, a coffee table, and a queen mattress set on the floor (at least it was neatly made up). Either she had just moved in, was some kind of drug addict, or what Root suspected a hired killer not wanting to stay for that long.

Ok, out of all of those options the woman had to be a hired assassin. This whole situation was just strange and too good to be true. This wouldn't be the first time a hitman was called to take her out and this probably wouldn't be the last. However, this was the first time a beautiful women was assigned to kill her and if this was the way she's going to die then so be it. She'd let this woman choke her in every sense of the word. Every great risk has a high reward.

"I told you my name but what about yours?" Root sat down next to the woman in the second chair.

"You don't need to know that."

"Being mysterious are we now, sweetie," Root grinned.

"Whatever," the woman rolled her eyes again and Root realizes that two glasses are set out on the coffee table. There is a bottle of whisky and the woman poured some in the glass for each of them.

"Have any company?" Root asked with amusement in her eyes. The alarm bells in her head were getting louder.

"You," she replied. She still looked angry, almost as though Root was the one that had been inconveniencing her and not the other way around. Root was starting to realize that the whole stomping deal, the whole corset getup, and even down to the whip was all staged to get Root in her apartment. She fell for it hook line and sinker. Root wasn't aware that she was this obvious but somewhere along the way she made a mistake.

"You were expecting me?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd get your ass up here three hours ago but yes, I was expecting you."

"So, I'm guessing your not a tap dancing stripper in your day job," Root said as she watched the woman take a swig of her whiskey.

"No," the woman replied, she was waiting expectantly for Root to take a drink after her. When Root didn't budge towards the glass she grabbed the glass and took a sip, handing it forcibly back to Root. She was letting Root know that the drink wasn't poisoned. How thoughtful.

"What if I just leave?" Root asked, still not taking a drink.

"Then, I'll kill you," the woman responded.

"Only if we have a little fun first," Root winked. Maybe, she could flirt her way out of this. The woman didn't seem as though she completelyhated Root's flirting. She quickly got her answer as the woman froze, she still seemed angry but she almost looked a little flustered...or maybe she was just going to punch her. Root took a sip from the glass of whisky, pressing her lips over the area the woman drank from. Letting her know that she wasn't afraid.

"Don't let this get to your head." the woman reached up to her ear and pulled dark strands back with her fingertips. If Root didn't know any better she'd completely dismiss this movement as something ordinary but the woman did it in a way that Root had seen before. The woman had an earwig in her ear and it looked like she had just silenced it. Again, Root couldn't be certain it was silenced but it was clear someone was probably communicating with her. She was abandoning her mission in favor of Root's suggestion.

"To bad, already has," Root responded.

"I've read your file and I have to admit that I wasn't expecting you to be hot. I was just going to shoot you point blank once you got in to get it over with, go to sleep, clean everything up in the morning."

"Glad I exceeded your expectations," Root put the almost full glass of whisky down. She knew that she was still playing a dangerous game. Root was curious on what she would do next. She watched as the woman reached for her ear again and pulled out the earwig that Root knew she already had. Then, the woman set the device on the ground and with a perfectly placed heel she smashed it. A phone seemingly appearing out of nowhere followed the same fate as the earwig. Then a handgun was placed on the coffee table.

"You can call me Sameen," she finally said. Sameen swept broken electronics under the table with her foot.

"Sameen," Root repeated as she tried out the name for the first time, rolling it off her tongue, she liked the way it sounded.

"Do you want to play a game, Root?" Sameen asked.

"You read my file. You know I do." as soon as Root finished her answer, Sameen got up.

"So, your one of the undergrounds best. Why don't you go back with your own kind, leave the politics to the old farts in overpriced suites." Sameen was now standing, giving her speech in the kitchen. She had pulled a revolver out of the fridge. It was a completely odd place to put a firearm but then again this whole encounter was odd so why not.

"Girl has to eat," Root said simply. Sameen now made her way towards her, she showed Root a single .45 caliber bullet. This was going to be apart of the game.

"You know, if you keep on sticking your nose where it doesn't belong I'm going to come back and it's not going to be fun."

"I expect it."

"Your funeral," Sameen shrugged.

She was now standing squarely in-front of Root. She opened up the revolver, showing her that the six chambers were empty. Sameen placed the bullet inside and spun the barrel. She closed it with a click and pointed it at Root, sliding the barrel gently across Root's jawline.

"Do you think I'm hot?" Sameen changed the subject.

It was now completely obvious again that Sameen was wearing hardly anything but really expensive lingerie, the whole reason she got Root through the door in the first place. Root could feel the temperature rise in the room as the encounter started to turn. The danger of the gun added to her attractiveness.

"Yes," Root bit her lip, not hiding what she thought.

"Sit up," Sameen ordered and Root did. Sameen then moved the barrel of the gun to Root's pulse point and pressed it firmly against her neck. She lowered herself, now sitting on top with legs apart on Root's lap. She pushed Root's back to the back of the chair. "Do you like this game?"

"Yes," Root replied, it was different but not exactly unwelcome. The danger added something more.

"Last question," Sameen paused for dramatic effect, "Do you want me?"

"I want you," Root repeated but the barrel of the gun pressed harder against her neck. Sameen cocked the gun.

"Say please."

"Please," Root breathed. Sameen was staring her squarely in the eye inches from Root's face, she looked content with the answer. Root watched as Sameen's gaze went from her eyes to her lips and Sameen closed the distance. Their lips brushed gently at first, testing each other for their reactions. Sameen pulled close again, the second kiss got deeper and Root could feel Sameen's tongue brush against her lips. The third kiss was almost frantic and she let Sameen inside. She was wet and tasted like whisky.

 _CLICK._

The sound of the trigger being pulled was heard as the hammer hit the empty barrel. Sameen pulled away and gently started to rock her hips, she held on to the back of the chair to keep her balance with her free hand. The gun moved away from Root and Sameen pointed it at herself. She starred Root in the eye as she cocked the gun and pulled the trigger, not missing a beat with her hips.

 _CLICK._

"Its not fair unless I play too," she responded and moved the gun back to Root. Sameen was intoxicating, Root bit her lip trying not to moan from the friction of her hips or from how hot this game was. It seemed to be the right reaction from the way Sameen's expression changed. "Lean towards me," She said and Root obeyed.

Sameen pulled her leather jacket down her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Root tried to lean in for another kiss but Sameen pushed her back against the chair. She moved her free hand down Root's neck of newly exposed skin. She cocked the gun again and aimed it between Root's collar bones.

 _CLICK._

That was three, they were halfway done. Sameen wrapped her fingers around Root's neck and squeezed, not enough to blur her vision but hard enough for her to feel it. Root watched as Sameen moved the gun back to herself, tilting back her head as she rocked her hips, and pulled the trigger.

 _CLICK._

"Just kiss me again," Root gasped. She just wanted Sameen's mouth on her's already. She wasn't sure what Sameen was going for with this but it was just making her hotter. Unfortunately, both of their luck was starting to run out. All Root could feel was Sameen's movements through thin clothing and she wanted more. Sameen dipped down again and kissed Root hard. They were frantic and both panting when Sameen pulled away.

"Fuck," was all Sameen could say back, she no longer looked angry but wild. Her eyes were dark and her breathing was hitched. She cocked the gun and aimed it at Root's heart. She probably deeply miscalculated this entire scenario, Root thought.

 _CLICK._

That was it, Root won. The last shot was still in the barrel and Root was aware that that one was the one that held the bullet. Sameen didn't have any indication that she was going to stop and they both knew that she had lost. She dipped down and kissed Root again, this time moaning. Her hips were no longer rhythmic but were more frantic. She could probably get off to the grinding alone but Root didn't want that.

"I win," Root smiled behind the kiss and held Sameen's hips in place, trying to get her to stop. Sameen growled or moaned or maybe it was a combination of the two as her movement was halted. Root took this moment to try to forcibly pull the gun from her but they both ended up crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs. In the brief struggle, Sameen ended up on top.

"You didn't win anything," Sameen pulled away, she slowly reached her hand to her chest. She pulled a bullet from between her breasts that had been firmly held in place by the corset. "Your a sucker."

Root looked back up at Sameen and grinned, "I'd like more sucking and less talking."

Sameen threw the gun to the side and quickly got up, pulling Root along with her. She pushed Root down on the bed that was just feet away.

"You didn't win anything," She repeated and climbed down on the bed with Root, pulling off Root's pants and shirt until Root was in her underwear.

"I think I win something," Root wiggled her eyebrows.

"Shut-up," Sameen kissed her again and pushed Root down on her back.

 **...**

"Shaw, what happened last night?" Cole said quizzically, he wasn't angry just a little concerned. He was never one to get angry but brushed things over with open dialogue while being annoyingly understanding of Shaw's choices. Even if those choices would get them both in trouble. The two were at a coffee shop, eating fresh scones and drinking coffee. Sameen would rather have had pancakes but she owed her colleague after going rogue last night.

"Doing the target," Shaw answered point blank. The man paused mid-bite through his scone as her implication started to dawn on him. He had heard the beginning of the nights events after all. "Got the job done, didn't I?" Shaw continued as Cole turned beet red, ignoring him and taking a sip of overpriced latte. He was well aware of her habits by now that she was surprised that it still phased him.

"Yeah, I switched out the bank account while you were... um... busy but our boss isn't going to be happy. She wanted the target dead," he cleared his throat.

"Control can suck it. You can't have everything you want."

 **...**

Root woke up, she was lying alone in the strange and bare apartment completely naked. She got up and gathered her clothes from the floor and slowly pulled them on. She had overslept after the eventful night. She looked around for Sameen but to no avail. The woman had gone and left Root alone in her apartment. She was probably never coming back.

Root exited the apartment and made her way back to her own. It was just as she had left it the previous night, her laptop resting closed on her coffee table. When Root went over to check it, the battery had completely died.

"Sorry sweetie, I was a little preoccupied last night," she mumbled under her breath to the device. Root knew that it was extremely likely that her window of opportunity had closed for her latest job. She attached the charger to the laptop, walked over to the outlet, and plugged in the device. She slid down and sat uncomfortably on the floor waiting for her laptop to power on. A few seconds later the screen came to life and she quickly got to work.

Unfortunately, It was too late, the bank account was closed and the politician seemed to be on a plane to the Bahamas as of three hours ago. Root set the laptop to the side to let it finish charging. There was nothing left to do, she'd have to inform a very dissatisfied customer tomorrow. She could put it off until then, gather some money and disappear again. It wasn't like finding customers was hard anyway but her track record was going to take a hit.

"Worth it," Root whispered and closed her eyes, remembering the sounds Sameen made just hours ago. She stuck her hands in the pockets of the leather jacket out of habit and was surprised when she felt something cold in her left hand. Root pulled it out and found that she was holding a .45 round. It was the same one from last night. Root tilted back her head against the wall and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2: Another Encounter

**Summary:** Root and Shaw continue to mess with each other.

 **Chapter 2: Another Encounter**

Root watched the busy staff of the restaurant zig zag through the white tables. She was sitting next to an exceptionally large window but the people where more interesting inside than the cars speeding away on the street. Her thumb and index finger pressed lightly on the bullet that she had brought with her for good luck. She slid the bullet back in the front of her dress and took comfort in the fact that no one paid attention to her movements. It was amazing how self absorbed and clueless humans could be.

It had been four months and Root was still caught thinking about that night as her mind wondered to Sameen. The stranger that she had met and the welcome turn of events. Root was dabbling in things that could concern the woman again. Not that she took this job just to see Sameen but the job paid good. The kind of good she could relax in Hawaii on the beach for a few months with a martini. It had nothing to do with the woman. Thats what Root told herself anyway.

"Would you like some more red wine Miss?" A waiter hovered over to Root's table.

"Yes, thank you," Root replied, the restaurant was extremely upscale and was frequented by the rich, the famous, and politicians. The food prices themselves where off the charts and that wasn't even mentioning the price of the wine.

She smiled at the waiter before he left making sure to note that all of her research had been correct. She knew every single person that was working today and even more than that. She knew her waiter's fiancee had left him for a billionaire that had frequented this restaurant and that his dog's name was Noodles. She knew that the head Chef took a smoke break at 1:35pm like clock work and that the bus boy would run whatever errand she wanted him to for some extra cash. She knew that they knew her as Miss Maric, a red head, and very successful business woman. It was a good cover but the wig itched.

"I'm also ready to order. I'll take the number two and I'll have it medium rare."

"Excellent choice, Miss." The man left Root alone at the table again and she eyed her true target. The woman in question was running for senate and she had a excellent chance of getting it. She was just here to celebrate her birthday with her husband of 30 years. It was actually a pity that the opposing side had chosen to hire Root, she'd much rather have worked for this lady instead but beggars can't be choosers.

"Here you are, I hope you enjoy." The waiter placed the dish on the table a short time later then swiftly left Root to enjoy her meal. She pushed around the vegetables with her fork after he had gone, pretending to be interested in the food but was actually keeping her eye on the would be senator. She really wasn't too interested in this job itself but the possibilities that could come with it. So, she waited.

"Long time no see." A familiar voice came from behind her. It was the voice that she had been hoping for. When Root looked up, Sameen was sitting in the chair across from her, blocking the view of her target. She sat down casually as if they were old friends. Sameen was completely dressed down for the occasion, in a black hoodie and sweat beading on her forehead. Root probably wasn't her first stop of the day.

"I was hoping I'd get to see you again." Root smiled, tilting her head. She pretended to dab at something on the side of her mouth with her napkin, getting Sameen's eyes to drop to her lips. This time, Root felt completely in control of the situation.

"Do you have a death wish?" Sameen huffed, clearly not happy to see Root. "I'm here to tell you to get lost."

"Hmmm, I was thinking you just can't get your mind off of me." Root reached in the front of her dress and pulled out the .45mm bullet. She showed it to Sameen briefly with a teasing smirk before putting it back. The gesture just seemed to irritate Sameen, she placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose as if rubbing back a headache. "Is that little voice in your ear giving you a lecture now? I know you don't work alone, it was so nice that they sent you again. I'd think if they knew our history they'd send someone else, don't you think?" Root teased.

"Shut up." Sameen growled a little too loudly. The couple to the right of them stopped their conversation and starred disapprovingly.

"Girlfriend trouble," Root said to them normally before dropping her voice to a whisper as she talked to the couple, "A one night stand just came back into the picture."

The couple looked confused and glanced at Sameen and then back at Root but dismissed Root when the waiter came back to fill their drinks. Root smirked in satisfaction at how uncomfortable the exchange seemed to make Sameen.

"I should have just killed you," Sameen said locking eyes with Root, with a strange look on her face. Root couldn't tell if it was anger or embarrassment. Maybe, it was a combination of both.

"Should have." Root picked up her glass of wine, "Its unfortunate that we think alike," She took a small sip just to be dramatic and savior Sameen's expression. "I'm not going to lie, your attractive and when the opportunity arises... well, who could have passed that night up?"

"I liked you better as a brunette." Shaw countered, lacking a more solid comeback.

"Oh sweetie, I can be whatever you want me to be," Root winked.

"Fuck, just shut up. Do you have to be so annoying all the time?" Sameen really looked to be on the edge of her patience. It was actually pretty unwise to tease the woman who was sent to kill you but it was also a lot of fun. "I know what your here to do so just get out of here before I change my mind," Sameen warned.

"Or what, you'll kill me? Sorry, can't do that but you can come with me to Hawaii in a few days if you want. We can find a nude beach and..." Root was going to let Sameen fill in the blanks as she seductively ran her finger across the folds of her napkin.

Sameen reached for Root's hand across the table. "I don't care if your Audrey Hepburn gorgeous or Gorge Costanza right now," Sameen bent back Root's index finger painfully. "If you don't go back to wherever you came from, in a few days, I'll be standing over your grave. The only sand you will be going near is the dirt I'll personally shovel over your casket."

"Noted." Root felt her body instinctively wince in pain. She looked at Sameen's face and figured it was probably a bad time to whisper 'harder,' knowing she had pushed Sameen's patience far enough.

"Good." Sameen let go of Root's finger.

"Fine, I'll leave." Root picked up her handbag to get up, pretending to be defeated by the threat. She then scooted her still full plate to Sameen."Peace offering?" She lifted her eyebrows.

Sameen eyed Root and then the plate. Root knew from her research (hacking into Sameen's receipts) that Sameen wouldn't let something like this go to waste. Before Root had a chance to get up and leave, Sameen was shoveling a mouth full of steak into her mouth without a second thought. It was just as Root knew she would, Sameen wasn't used to being the one on the run and it showed. Root watched gleefully as Shaw finished half of the steak.

"Now get lost-" Sameen started but suddenly stopped. Her eyes flashed to Root and then the steak "You didn't?" She winced, pain taking over her expression. She then fell over on on the floor convulsing.

"Oh, but I did darling," Root said as she casually got up from the table and kneeled down beside Sameen. "I know you have a helper monkey. So, listen to me and get her to a hospital a.s.a.p. and pump her stomach. You have thirty minutes," Root whispered into Sameen's ear, knowing she had an earwig from their last encounter.

"Oh my god, what happened?" A waiter who just barely noticed rushed to the scene.

"I don't know, she was just fine and then..." Root picked her cover back up and tears filled her eyes, "Call 9-1-1, somebody help please!" She was in full acting mode.

More people started to take notice and surrounded them. An ambulance was already heard outside the building. Nobody from the restaurant had even reacted that far yet. It must have been called from Sameen's team of top secret government whatever it was the woman actually worked for. Root took that moment to quickly glance over at the would be senator. She had gotten up to see what was the matter too but she looked completely fine. Her meal was half way finished when she should have been joining Sameen on the ground. The day almost went exactly as planned.

 **...**

"Wow. I mean, wow." Michael Cole was hovering above Sameen's blurry vision as she came two in a generic hospital room.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," She mumbled groggily as her vision focused. She felt like shit and she couldn't believe what had happened. It looked like neither could Cole.

"I have never seen anything like that in my life. She completely played you." Cole was pacing. He wasn't saying any of this to be rude but more in complete disbelief that they were even in this situation.

"It was a god damn steak, how would you even figure she'd poison her own food let alone something that appetizing," Shaw said between her teeth.

"Shaw, did you tell her that?" Cole stopped and looked at Sameen. "I mean did you tell her that your favorite food was steak and that you'd pretty much drop anything for a good meal. I don't even think thats something they include in your file?" He started to ramble a little bit.

"Sure, just between that one meeting and all that sex we were having, I decided to mention a good steak, my favorite cut, and just the way I liked it cooked," Shaw rolled her eyes. At that, Cole got silent for awhile. She had made him uncomfortable again by being completely uncensored about that night.

"Hey, I'm glad your okay by the way." Cole changed the subject and sounded sincere, "I don't know if its comforting but if it wasn't for her then the ambulance would have taken forty five minutes to get to the restaurant. Fifteen minutes too late."

"How reassuring," Shaw said sarcastically. "Did she get to the number?"

"No, she's fine. We managed to get her meal replaced just in time but we weren't suspecting... well... what happened to you," Cole shrugged.

"That's some good news but that woman's going to be back to finish the job," Shaw was now referring to Root. "When will I be fit to get out of this place so I can punch that smug smile off her face?" Shaw asked, already wanting to get out of the hospital bed despite the physical discomfort her body was in.

"Well, we've been resigned and... your going to be here for awhile," Cole flinched at delivering the news. " I, um, told higher ups to take us off of this one," He knew her too well and this was the first time Cole had ever requested anything like this.

"You what?" Shaw growled, she glanced at Cole but she knew he had done what he thought was right, she wasn't angry at him. They were a team and they looked out for each other. Shaw leaned back on the bed excepting her fate for now, "God, I'm going to shoot that woman one day."

 **...**

Root was sitting on her hotel bed, her suitcase lying open on the floor. Her window for her target was closing again and so was the prospect of a beach vacation. She brushed her teeth and watched a replay of the footage of Sameen's ambulance pulling into the hospital on her laptop. She really didn't want Sameen to die, she just wanted some payback for costing her one of her largest paychecks. After she was satisfied that the ambulance made it in time, Root got up to rinse her mouth out from the toothpaste.

It was time for her to get back to work. She decided to finish this one in the shadows. It was what she should have done in the first place. She didn't even have to be in New York if she didn't want to. Root just wanted the opportunity to possibly see Sameen again even if the plan was reckless. Now that she had, she could finish this one inside her hotel room.

"Oh, here you are," Root mumbled to herself and she dug through the future senator's digital footprint. She was an older lady so she barely had one but Root was still confidant that she could find some dirt. The first thing she checked was the woman's Facebook. Root took note of all her friends, checked their profiles, and noted any that could be important. "Hmmm... husband. Boring. Son. Boring. Friend from book club. Boring. Lawyer... oh, this could be good," Root smiled, her finger's expertly danced across her keyboard as she moved on to the next step.

Root hacked into the woman's email. She searched for the name of the lawyer and downloaded all the emails on an external hard drive from that sender to go through tomorrow. By that time it was already past midnight and Root was tired. She stretched on her bed and set the laptop on the nightstand, making sure to plug it in the charger. She got up and showered, going to bed with her hair wet.

It was five days later of being basically locked inside the hotel room. Root was only focused on work. She got up, read the emails, got hold of some private texts, and tracked some bank accounts, ordering room service, and stretching when she felt stiff. She had uncovered that her target was covering up a hit and run and had paid a significant amount of money to cover it up. The victim's family had tried to sue but was kept quiet. Root had sent what she had found anonymously to a local journalist who was young and hungry to get ahead. This information could easily destroy a political career.

She wasn't done yet, Root got paid half when she excepted the job, and three fourths if she could destroy the woman's name and any chance of her getting elected. Root got paid the full amount if the woman turned up dead. Whoever hired her had to have a huge grudge. It was most likely the family of the hit and run victim, Root thought. She wasn't really interested in seeing this one all the way through herself anymore so she hired her own third party assassin to make it look like an accident. All she had to do now was wait and enjoy New York City in the meantime. She decided to go for a walk.

"I'll take a dozen of the violets," Root said to the florist behind the stand of assorted flowers. This was the last day Sameen was going to spend in the hospital. Sending flowers would be a nice touch. Root paid the young assistant of the florist to bring the violets to the hospital and to leave it at the front desk. She also signed a card with "I can't wait for our next date, I'm sure it will be more pleasant next time," and an obnoxious amount of x's and o's.

On the sixth day with nothing to do, Root started getting bored. She lost trace of Sameen after she had checked out of the hospital and the news had been silent about her target. Now, she was thinking about leaking the information to a new journalist. Thinking this over, Root sat criss cross on her hotel bed and opened up a small box of Chinese takeout when her phone buzzed.

"Good job, check the news," It read, she turned on the tv and changed the channel to a local station. The news was playing the hit and run cover up that she had dug up.

"About time," Root said aloud and took a bite of orange chicken. Her phone beeped again as she just received a large payment to one of her bank accounts in her phone notifications. She just received three fourths of the payment. Root hummed in satisfaction and decided she might be able to book an entire guest house in Hawaii on Airbnb for next month. "I wonder if Sameen likes martinis," Root said to herself.

The thing about this job was that she had no one to talk to for awhile now and she caught herself daydreaming about getting to know Sameen better. She knew what kind of food she liked, the sound of her voice when she moaned, and the smell of her shampoo but she wanted to know more. What made her laugh, what were her hobbies... what would it be like waking up next to her every morning? Okay, the last one was a little much. Root decided that this thinking was unhealthy and she'll just have to force herself to interact with some people tomorrow to feel slightly less lonely. She's human after all.

Root got up and put the almost full container of orange chicken in the mini fridge of her hotel room. She got into bed and turned off the light on the night of the seventh day.

 **...**

"Hey wait!" Cole dug a dozen purple violets out of the trash bin. He didn't pay attention to Shaw as he dusted off the flowers.

"I know exactly who those are from and I want nothing to do with them." Shaw still had the card in her hand, she was extremely frustrated. When she got the delivery of the flowers she had thrown them in the dumpster on the way out of the hospital. Cole was the one who dug them out and decided to fix them up. He couldn't throw away flowers while they were still living. He didn't say it but Shaw knew him. He was the same way with people despite what their job was. Now instead of playing doctor with an accidental bystander she was going to have to doctor up some flowers.

"Research has a new assignment for us." Cole changed the subject and rearranged the flowers, lifting up one with a broken stalk, "We need to be ready in three days."

"Fine by me," Shaw commented and walked to the side of the sidewalk. She was going to hail a cab to get back to her apartment. "Hey, who was re-assigned to our last mission anyway," Shaw pretended to sound disinterested.

"Crimson Six," Cole responded and handed the violets to Shaw, she instinctively took them but immediately wanted to hand them back as the cab pulled up by the sidewalk.

"Grice and Brooks," Shaw mumbled, knowing full well that this was probably the last time she was going to see the woman at the restaurant who went by Root. She had trained Grice too well to fail.

"Huh-uh," Cole pushed Shaw in the direction of the cab that was waiting impatiently. "Hey, just get some rest, okay?" He looked a little concerned, Shaw thought he probably wished he didn't say anything. He didn't want her to go back after Root.

"Fine, I'll see you in a couple of days then," She huffed in annoyance at him and got in the cab. She was still holding the violets, when the cab driver asked her where she wanted to go, she paused and lifted up the violet with the broken stalk. In that moment she made a split second decision, she was going to go back to that restaurant to find out Root's latest alias. She wasn't done with Root yet.

 **...**

Root was in the shower when she heard something thump outside her bathroom door. She poked her head out of the shower curtain and listened. She didn't hear anything else but she could feel that something was off. She turned off the shower, quickly towel dried her hair, and pulled on a tank top and underwear. Whatever it was was either nothing or had the decency enough to wait and not turn this into an Alfred Hitchcock film.

Root walked to the bathroom door that she had left slightly ajar and slowly creaked it open all the way.

"Are you surprised?" a voice called out. Root stood frozen, but with a smile creeping up on her lips. Sameen was sitting on her hotel bed and was holding up a handgun.

"I'm pleasantly surprised," Root sighed, she was not expecting Sameen at all. Maybe someone else coming to assassinate her (again, its happened before) but she wasn't expecting Sameen. She went back into the bathroom to pick up the towel to finish drying her hair before coming back. She ignored the fact that Sameen was pointing a gun at her.

"You know booking this hotel under the same name you used at the restaurant was sloppy." Shaw got up from the bed, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Root just stood there drying her hair and looked completely unconcerned. Root shrugged and walked closer to Sameen until she was less than a foot away.

"I'm glad your doing okay," Root smiled, she walked right up to the barrel of Sameen's gun until it was pressed firmly to her stomach. She was actually really concerned about Sameen's health since she had been in the hospital. It was her fault, she knew it and she wasn't ashamed of it but she was concerned non the less. "You still don't want to come to Hawaii with me, it could be fun?"

"You hired some men to off a certain member of government, right?" Sameen ignored Root but she allowed the other woman to push closer until she was backed against a wall.

"Right," Root took the gun from Sameen's hand and placed it on the nightstand that was within arms reach. If Sameen wanted to kill her, she would have done it a long time ago.

"Well, their dead." Sameen lifted her phone up to Root's eye level. The video that was playing on the screen was from a home security camera. Root recognized the woman (her target) in the video who was then approached by two masked men. The two men then suddenly dropped to the ground and another man and a woman entered the screen. Root didn't recognize them.

"I'm guessing those are two of your associates?" Root took Sameen's phone from her hand and placed it on the nightstand too.

"They are coming for you next," Shaw said matter of factly. "You have thirty minutes, I thought that that was fitting considering the time you gave me."

"How nice of you." Root dipped her head down and whispered in Sameen's ear. The shorter woman didn't push her away and Root considered it a good sign. Every time they were this close Root could feel the sexual tension and she knew that this was saving her life several times over. "Can I give you a souvenir this time?"

"Yes." Sameen agreed. Root then proceeded to kiss Sameen's temple. Shaw didn't stop her as Root moved down to the corner of her mouth, feeling the hitch in Shaw's breathing under her, Root made her way down to Sameen's neck. She bit down until she felt Sameen's body jerk from surprise and then relax as Root continued, fully intent on leaving as many marks as she possibly could. "Do you know how weird and annoying you are?" Sameen asked.

"Apparently not," Root pulled away and looked at Sameen. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lip. This was hot, it reminded Root of the night they spent together. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" Sameen said, her hands had wondered to Root's hips.

"Run away with me," Root said impulsively and in the moment. This was fun but they couldn't keep doing this. They had to be on the same side or they were both losing it professionally. Root had just lost that Hawaii vacation and for whatever reason Sameen wasn't sent to kill her this time but was showing up to warn her about getting killed by someone else.

"Thats not what I do," Sameen said, still with her eyes closed. She was obviously trying to hold back from pushing this situation further. "Twenty five minutes." Sameen changed the topic and at the same time giving her answer. Root just smiled in acknowledgment, she kissed Sameen on the lips deeply and pulled away.

"I understand," Root backed off and went to her suitcase, pulled out a pair of skinny jeans, then pulled them on. Sameen came behind her, holding her leather jacket and helped her put it on. Surprisingly, Sameen turned Root around and zipped it all the way up.

"It's cold outside." Sameen shrugged in response to her actions. Root's hair was still wet and she hadn't bothered to put on a bra when she had gotten out of the shower. Sameen had noticed causing Root to feel a smile tug on the corner of her lips. Hastily, Root shook off the feeling and picked up her single suitcase.

"Last chance to go with me," Root said, hoping she'd change her mind.

"No, now run." Sameen opened the front door of the hotel room for Root. "Get out of New York, I can't protect you now."


	3. Chapter 3:Miami Showdown

**Summary:** Shaw leaves New York and finds adventure waiting for her in Washington.

 **Chapter 3: Miami Showdown**

Shaw was tapping her foot impatiently as she watched a large crowd of passenger's board their flight.

"We lost her." Cole jogged up to Shaw out of breath. "We got the wrong intel, our target boarded her flight two hours ago."

"Shit," Shaw exhaled, "Do we know where she's headed?"

"Washington," Cole said, he wasn't paying attention to Shaw anymore. "I'm getting our suitcases from the van, we're following her."

It was raining in New York and the plane ride out was turbulent to say the least. Cole didn't like flying and the added storm didn't help at all. Shaw took the window seat and watched the storm. Once the storm subsided Shaw found herself drifting in and out of sleep. Her dreams the last couple of weeks had been interesting. Since the steak incident her dreams had been focused on one subject in particular. Root.

Shaw had to admit, the first time that the two had met was just a nice one night stand for Shaw. Something about that changed when Root was able to outstep her. Something about Root became more alluring. The last thing Shaw remembered from the plane was seeing Cole pull out a book and turn through the pages.

 **...**

"Hey, sweetie," Root whispered in Shaw's ear. Shaw was laying on a hotel bed. She rolled over to face root but was stopped on her back as her hand caught. Her right hand was handcuffed to the bed post.

"What the hell, where am I?" Shaw was groggy as she turned her head the rest of the way. Root finally came into view, she was wearing only underwear and a flimsy grey tank top without a bra. The same thing she was wearing the night Shaw had last seen her in. She was laying next to Shaw on the bed.

"You don't remember?" Root asked, she sat up and got on top of Shaw, straddling Shaw's hips with her legs. "You ran away with me."

"No, I didn't," Shaw said flatly, she was about ready to push Root off.

"No, you didn't but you wanted to." Root took Shaw's free hand and placed it on a sliver of exposed skin under the hem of Root's tank top. Shaw slowly slid her hand under the tank top and after getting an approving nod from Root, she slid her hand up to her breast. "You wanted to do that too," Root almost laughed.

"Who the hell are you?" Shaw squeezed slightly and watched as Root's eyes fluttered closed. "Your file is only half a page, you practically don't exist on any record ever. Hell, I didn't even know what you looked like until I met you in person," Shaw ran her thumb over Root's nipple until it was firm.

"You curious?" Root asked, eyes still closed.

"Yes," Shaw replied.

"Good," Root placed her own hand over Shaw's and added pressure, "What did you think of me when we first met?"

"I thought you were hot, even in those stupid pajamas," Shaw said.

"Go on." Root encouraged.

"I wanted to mess with you," Shaw moved her hand to Root's other breast, "I wanted to see the look on your face when I messed with you, when I brought out that revolver, when I kissed you," Shaw bit her lip, "Fuck... and you just kept going with it."

"You didn't expect me too?" Root didn't open her eyes, allowing and trusting Shaw to continue where she pleased.

"No. Thought you'd bail as soon as I brought out the gun," Shaw then slowly guided her hand down Root's stomach.

"You didn't expect me to poison you either," Root leaned forward until she was over Shaw. She gently removed a loose strand of hair from Shaw's face before kissing the corner of her mouth.

"Your a damn wild card," Shaw said and turned her head to be met by Root's lips. Root kissed her, nibbling gently on Shaw's upper lip until Shaw parted her lips and let Root's tongue inside.

"Sweetie, you know this isn't real," Root pulled away. She still smiled down at Shaw but she was no longer wearing the tank top and they were no longer in the hotel room. They were back in the sparsely furnished apartment of their first encounter. Root was still on top of her but it was dark. All Shaw could feel, all she could hear, all she could think about was Root as she re-lived the night that they met. She knew it was a dream.

...

"Shaw, are you okay?" Cole was gently pushing her awake. When her eyes focused he was starring at her concerned.

"What?" She blinked and sat up. Her neck was stiff from accidentally falling asleep against the side of the window and her arm.

"Are you okay?" Cole repeated, she was really tired of that concerned look that had been plastered across his face lately.

"Yeah, I'm good." Shaw stretched the best she was able in the seat. "Why?" She wanted to know what he was going to say.

"Um, forget it," Cole said, he started gathering the trash that they had collected on the plane as he ignored Shaw's glare. He didn't look like he had gotten any sleep on the flight. She watched him as her mind started to go back to the dream. It was slowly starting to fade and soon she wouldn't remember any of it. She wondered if she mumbled anything out loud but that really wasn't her style. She had never really talked in her sleep. He was probably just concerned by the look on her face.

Once they landed they had to rent a car and drive to a nearby Holiday Inn. The rain was still pouring down. She was tired of rain, it almost looked like the storm had followed them all the way from New York. The only nice thing about it was that it felt fresh as the light rain gently sprinkled her skin.

"So, that mole is going to be at that big fancy costume party tomorrow?" Shaw asked, pulling the rental car into the parking lot.

"Yeah, it's going to be a masquerade. We're both going to have to be out in the field if we have any chance of actually identifying her." Cole said, wiping fatigue from his face. He pulled out a picture of their target as soon as the car had stopped. The woman in the photograph had brown hair, brown eyes, was slender, and looked to be in her mid thirties. She almost looked like Root... almost. Something about her was just not right, her nose was too round, her face was too square. She wasn't Root. She was missing the mischievous grin that always seemed to be on Root's lips.

"Chelsea Andrews." Shaw let the name role from her tongue from memory.

"Yeah, she was one of us until forty eight hours ago, turns out she is a double spy." Cole put the photograph away. "She was stationed in New York and we just let her get away," He sighed, he was grumpy from the lack of sleep and the plane.

"Think of this as a vacation." Shaw popped the trunk from inside the car. She didn't really want to deal with a jet lagged Cole right now and she was hungry. They'd both be a lot happier once they got some food in them.

 **...**

Root still couldn't shake what had happened with Sameen both times she was in New York. She had easily evaded the new team that was sent for her after she hopped the country for awhile but something was bugging her about the situation. She decided to dig deeper into it at a safe distance. Now she was back in the States and ready to put a new plan in motion. This time out of her own curiosity than the prospect of money.

"Hello, is this Chelsea Andrews?" Root said through a burner phone.

"Who is this? What do you have to say for yourself?" The voice on the other line replied.

"Peanut butter waffles. Twenty four. Fifty six." Root held out her freshly painted black fingernails to the light. Her pinky finger had a slight smudge of black paint.

"Right, your her then?"

"I'm her."

"Meet me under the apricot tree, 2345 West End, nineteen hundred hours."

 _CLICK._

The phone went dead. Root tossed it to the side of the bed and flopped down on her pillow. She used a cotton ball to fix the black smudge of nail polish. She liked the saying under the apricot tree. It sounded like something you'd tell someone when describing your first kiss or meeting someone for a fight.

A few minutes later she got up from the bed and dug in her suitcase for her black peacoat. It had been raining for the last several days in Washington. She put on the item and walked out the door. She had an hour to get to the location. Root decided to take an Uber from the hotel.

The rain had stopped, once she got to the neighborhood she paid the elderly man behind the wheel to drop her off several houses down. She gave him a generous tip and he drove away. The houses themselves looked to be a mixture of one to two story houses that were clearly middle class. It was a nice neighborhood, Root had no idea why Andrews decided to meet at one of these. She only needed to walk a few minutes before she noticed a woman sitting on a wooden bench under a large tree. There was no visible fruit in it. That was a disappointment.

"Hello, your Caroline Turing?" A woman called out to her.

"Yes, ma'am and your Chelsea Andrews?" Root smiled. The woman nodded and Root sat down next to her on the bench.

"Nice place, right?" Andrews said.

"Safe house?"

"Yeah, it reminds me of the one I grew up in."

"Government must pay good."

"Depends on what government your talking about," Andrews seemed to get kind of uncomfortable. "Well, it doesn't matter now anyway." She reached in her pocket and gave Root an external hard drive.

"Is this what we agreed on?" Root asked.

"Yeah, its everything I can dig up about Research. The stuff you can't get unless your actually there."

"Did you sell this information to anyone else?"

"I was going too tonight at that masquerade. You can try if you want too but its not worth it," Andrews stood up and reached in her pocket again. "I'd recommend against assuming my identity." She dropped the house key in Root's hand.

"Thanks for the concern but I can take care of myself." Root took the key.

"All I'm saying is that its not worth it for the money. Your a freelancer, freelance somewhere else." Andrews stood up, she seemed to not have anything else to say to Root. She didn't look surprised when Root pulled out a Glock 17, "Is this how you were planning on helping me disappear?" Andrews smiled.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily like this part of my job but I don't necessarily feel guilty about it either," Root replied as she switched the safety off, resting her finger on the trigger.

"Your already talking to a dead woman," Andrews pulled something else from her coat pocket, "I'm already a target, let me go out my own way." Andrews showed Root that she had been keeping cyanide with her.

"Alright." Root relaxed back on the bench. She was right. If Andrews decided to take the cyanide or not, someone else would get her anyway. Root had the advantage of still being in the dark but Andrews had lost that privilege. She watched as Andrews disappeared around the block. Root didn't know if she had a car parked around the corner but she no longer cared. Andrews was gone.

This was all about one thing.

Root had been curious how the government was getting its information and this had been a perfect opportunity. In the last several years, every time she had taken on a job that had to do with politicians or military records, she was always one step behind. Someone was always sent to kill her. Oddly, it had its advantages. Without it she would have never met Sameen but something felt a little odd about the whole thing.

Something was feeding the government information and it wasn't human. She tried to hack into it but she never got far. It was almost like she was competing with a god. It was two steps ahead of her at every corner. Root knew she was too good to make mistakes, it would target her before she even completed her was were Andrews came in. She just needed to find someone on the inside who wasn't loyal to their job. Root had found Andrews through word of mouth in some of her old online stopping grounds. Root had given Andrews everything in her savings account. She could make up the loss later.

It was fortunate they looked so much alike because Root could pose as Andrews for awhile if she wanted and possibly get into some places she didn't have access too without months of leg work. She was going to take advantage of that. Well, that had been the plan. Andrews seemed to have set off way too many alarms trying to get the information Root wanted.

Root walked to the front door of the house. The key that Andrews had handed Root slid easily into the lock and Root pushed the door open. Inside the house was unfurnished besides a few items. It was one story, had a kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. The bedroom had a queen size bed, the kitchen had two boxes of cereal, a beat up looking sofa, and a medical kit in the bathroom. That was about it. As far as safe houses went, it wasn't too bad. Root went back outside to the front yard and looked around the tree again. She managed to find one apricot hidden in the leaves.

 **...**

Shaw looked at herself in the mirror. She had a black dress that draped over one shoulder and a black mask that covered her eyes. Dressing up to go undercover really wasn't her favorite thing to do, she'd take a tank top and army boots over this any day. She exited the hotel room and knocked on Cole's door so they could leave. They were headed off to the the masquerade. Andrews was reported to be meeting with a Chinese military adviser to hand off a hard drive of sensitive information.

"After you, my lady," Cole held the door open for Shaw as she got out of the car. They were at the front entrance of a huge white building. Music was heard from the building as the masquerade party was clearly going on. Inside was a mix of party goers that were foreign diplomats, United States military advisors, politicians, and the filthy rich.

"If you say that one more time I'm going to break your nose."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Cole said, still clearly in a good mood. It wasn't often he got a chance to work in the field and it was even more rare that he got to attend a party. He was enjoying every minute of it.

"Ready to get started?" Shaw said.

"After you," Cole replied.

The first two hours of the party the pair had completely turned up empty handed. Andrews was no where to be seen or heard from. Worse yet, but it sounded as though Andrews was already marked as a traitor and a target for the Chinese diplomats. She most likely wasn't going to show up to this party unless she had a death wish.

"We're screwed," Cole sighed as they walked out of the building and to their rental car. Shaw wasn't looking forward to all the leg work she was going to have to do later. Maybe, another department will be tasked with finding Andrews since they were out of their home state. It seemed like that is what happened with Crimson Six when Root had given them the run around.

"Hey, look over to your left," Shaw said, they were halfway to their car. A woman seemed to be watching them from the front garden of the building. She was dressed up for the masquerade in a blue dress and feathered mask.

"I see her," Cole replied. They got to their car and watched the woman. The woman watched back and slowly started approaching them. From every indication, she looked exactly like Andrews.

"You think this is our lucky day?" Shaw said.

"I can't believe it," Cole replied. They both got out their handguns. The woman walked up to them unconcerned.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize me, Sameen," The woman smiled. It was the same annoying smile that Shaw knew only belonged to one person. Even under that tacky mask.

"Root?"

"Hey, sweetie." Root took off her mask dramatically and flipped her hair out of her face like she was in a damn L'Oreal commercial. Shaw lowered her firearm and motioned for Cole to do the same. He did so reluctantly.

"So, your Root," Cole said disapprovingly.

"And your Sameen's helper monkey, nice to finally meet you." Root held out her hand and Cole shook it awkwardly. It was obvious that he didn't really approve of her.

"Its not a coincidence that your here, is it?" Shaw said.

"Nope, I think I'm here for that exact reason you are. You two were looking for an Andrews, right?"

"You so happen to know where she is?" Cole asked.

"Nope, she's long gone. Probably out of the country if I were her," Root smiled "Or dead," Root said a little too cheerily. She then reached in her handbag. She got out a small black hard drive and held it as though she was holding up a wade of one hundred dollar bills.

"Whats that?" Cole asked.

"If you want, you two won't go back empty handed," Root raised an eyebrow, "Are you curious how Research and Control actually acquires your targets?"

"In a dark pit somewhere where some poor schmuck is tied to a chair," Shaw said dismissively.

"Hmmm, sounds fun but wrong," Root replied.

"Who cares how Research gets its information. I get the job, I get it done, and then I go home." Shaw countered.

"Is that what is in that hard drive?" Cole seemed curious when Shaw did not.

"Maybe," Root flipped the hard drive around in her hand, "I was going to sell it tonight but what I found was way more interesting than any job. You can't just sell out a god," Root extended the hard drive out to the pair. Cole took it without question.

"Is that it then?" Shaw asked.

"If you know whats good for you, I'd recommend you don't look at it," Root said and looked between both of them, "I think our exchange is about over and if you two would so kindly not try killing me tonight, I'd like to get to my car."

"For once your not on our hit list today," Cole said.

"Unless you want to continue playing Andrews," Shaw added.

"I think I'll pass," Root winked, or tried to anyway. "Unless you want to stay awhile."

"Its hard to forget about the poison." Cole looked back from Root and then to Shaw. He seemed to think that Shaw was going to agree with him because he said it so matter of factly.

"I wasn't talking to you." Root had her eyes squarely on Shaw.

"Cole, go back to the hotel. If anyone should be concerned about their safety it should be her," Shaw said.

"Fine, whatever you want, its none of my business," Cole paused, then held up his hands in defeat as he walked away. He seemed completely done with Shaw at this point. He kept the hard drive clutched in his hand as he disappeared off into the night. Shaw figured she was probably going to get a mini lecture the next day but she didn't care.

"I'm honestly surprised you decided to stay."

"Don't let it get to your head." Shaw walked past Root. This was probably not Shaw's smartest idea but for once they weren't hired to kill each other. Even if Root was still on Crimson Six's hit list it didn't mean that Shaw had to bring her in herself this time. As an operative she was supposed to have no contact with Root. That didn't mean she was allowed to have contact with her as Sameen. For once that day, Shaw wasn't completely angry that she let Andrews get away on that flight.

 **...**

It was midnight, Root waited in the parking lot of a 24 hour Walmart as Sameen picked up some groceries. Sameen had announced that she was hungry. She had said she missed diner for that masquerade and she didn't trust Root enough to pick a restaurant in case she had the food rigged. Root didn't blame her, she told Sameen she had access to a kitchen and Sameen agreed only if she could prepare the food herself.

Root was glad that Sameen had agreed to come with her. That night after Root had asked Sameen to run away with her, Root thought that she'd probably never be up close to her in an intimate situation again. She was glad she was wrong.

Root spotted Sameen on her way back in the parking lot. She was still wearing her fancy dress and heels, angrily carrying three bags of groceries. She actually kind of looked hilarious but Root wasn't going to mention it to her as she got back in the car.

"All set, Sameen?"

"Yeah, yeah, just get us to a kitchen before my stomach decides to eat itself."

They drove back in silence and Root drove the car (that had belonged to Andrews cover identity) back into the safe house that also once belonged to Andrews.

"Nice digs." Sameen stepped out into the garage.

"Safe house," Root responded simply and opened the door to the rest of the house. Immediately, Shaw kicked off her heels and made her way to the kitchen without looking around. Root gave her some space and explored the closet of the master bedroom. Andrews probably had something more comfortable in Root's size. She was right, she picked a maroon sweater and picked out her own skinny jeans from her luggage. She then picked a charcoal button down for Sameen. She was probably too short to wear any of the pants or jeans from either her wardrobe or Andrews wardrobe.

"Hey, something smells delicious," Root walked up behind Sameen near the stove. She reached over to a sauce pan that was lightly simmering only to get her hand batted away.

"Don't even try it," Sameen growled.

"Ok." Root retracted her hand and held out her arm with the shirt instead, "I thought you'd like to get into something more comfortable," Root dangled the shirt out. Sameen stared at it suspiciously for a few beats before finally looking like she made up her mind.

"Get the zipper in back of my dress," Sameen said.

"You sure?"

"Just do it before I change my mind." Sameen stirred the pan a few times and Root stepped behind her without further question. She moved Sameen's pony tail to the side and found the black zipper. She wondered what Sameen was thinking of in this moment. This was really the first time they had the chance to be alone without the threat of danger. Would they even hit it off as well as they did when they were trying to kill each other? Or, was everything that happened just the thrill of the chase combined with lust.

"Whats taking so long back there," Shaw grumbled.

"Just admiring the view," Root zipped down the dress. Sameen let it fall down her shoulders and onto the floor, kicking it to the side unceremoniously, and took the shirt from Root without turning around. Root helped her bring the shirt up to her shoulders and Shaw buttoned it up. It was slightly too long compared to how it would have fit on Root.

"Pants?"

"Sorry, I think they would be too long on you."

"Fine, but you have to ditch yours too."

"Sameen?"

"Hey, its Only fair," Sameen shrugged and finally turned around. "Off with them," she said bluntly. Root knew the only reason why she had abandoned the food momentarily was because she wanted to watch. Root was flattered.

"You could have told me in the car that you just wanted to get me out of my pants," Root wiggled her eyebrows. She slowly shimmied her skinny jeans down her legs and looked back at Sameen triumphantly. Sameen just rolled her eyes.

"Shut-up." Sameen went back to what she was doing before changing the subject, "Do you like your steak medium rare, well done, or rare?"

"Well done." Root stood closer behind Sameen to see what she was doing. She refrained from the urge to press up against her. Sameen was fun to tease but she'd give her space. She didn't seem like the type of person who was fond of contact without initiating it first. Root watched closely as Sameen put two steaks on the skillet and stirred the saucepan.

"You can get closer," Sameen said, seemingly able to read Root mind. Root slowly stepped up behind her and cautiously placed her hands on Sameen's hips. "Don't get me wrong but as long as your in here with me, I want to know where you are at all times." Sameen replied.

"I'm really sorry about the steak that day, Sameen," Root said, completely genuine.

"Your going to have to earn back my trust, got that?"

"Ok," Root said as she allowed her body to relax against Sameen's. She loosely wrapped her arms around her waist. They stayed like this for several more minutes while Sameen finished up. Root tested to see what Sameen would do if she removed a hand and to her surprise, Sameen would quickly grab it and put it back on her waist. Sameen wasn't kidding around when she said she felt uncomfortable with Root around her food. Root felt a little sad from this situation. Maybe, she had taken the steak thing a little too far. She had no idea how much Sameen cared about her food. She just knew that she seemed to eat a lot despite her size.

"Go sit down at the table. If you get up, your dead," Sameen ordered. Root did so without question and Sameen brought the plates. It turned out she made steaks with potato wedges, a salad, and homemade BBQ sauce. She placed the first plate in-front of Root and filled up a glass of red wine for her. Root wasn't actually hungry, it was one thirty in the morning and she had had diner before the masquerade. Sameen seemed to have put a lot of work into the meal so she was going to try to eat some to be polite anyway.

Sameen sat across from Root and loudly placed her own plate down, filled her glass, and started eating without looking at Root. Root slowly cut up her steak and took a bite. It was delicious. Pretending to like the meal wasn't going to be a problem.

"So, is this a date?" Root said the first thing to come to her mind and immediately regretted it when she looked up at Sameen's face.

"Shut up. I don't date," Sameen said, but slowed down on eating her meal. She seemed to be thinking about it. "I don't date." Sameen repeated. This felt like a date and they both knew it. They ate in silence for a little while longer as Sameen became more concerned about her meal than Root.

A few minutes later and Sameen finished her meal. She sat across from her and looked bored as Root finished her steak. She had also managed to finish most of the wine by herself. Root hardly touched her's. To Root's surprise it looked like the wine wasn't even effecting her.

"Where did you train?" Sameen finally said as Root looked close to being done.

"A little ole'town in Texas."

"A military base down there?"

"No, Bishop."

"Don't tell me your self taught."

"Mostly. Learned to hack in a library, went to college but they don't teach you how commit identity left, do they?" Root smiled, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"If you didn't trust me, why did you agree to come with me today?"

"Because your good in bed." Sameen shrugged without missing a step. Root was flattered again but not entirely convinced.

"Is that all?"

"No," Sameen paused for a moment, "I want to know who the hell you are."

With that Root smiled, "Your curious?"

"Yes." Sameen said impassively. This was probably a mistake. It was not the best thing in Root's line of work to have someone get to know you. Despite the fact in this moment, she really wanted to say something more. She really wanted Sameen in her life.

"I'm not that interesting to be honest, but I'm glad you think so," Root shrugged. She got up and retrieved the plates. Sameen allowed her too without a fuss. She watched as Root put everything in the sink and rinsed out the dishes. She put them away in the dishwasher and started it. Sameen got up and helped, putting the remainder of the food in the fridge. It took approximately twenty minutes.

"We wouldn't work as a couple," Sameen started, the comment came from left field. It not only came from left field but it burned. Root didn't let herself show it.

"What do you mean, Sameen?"

"We'd be a four alarm fire in an oil refinery," Sameen finished. She sat down on the kitchen chair again.

"Doesn't that just make it fun?" Root walked up to Sameen.

"Someone going to end up dead." Sameen looked up at Root.

"With our line of work, we're just going to end up in an early grave anyway," Root leaned over her, "Why don't we just have a little fun before it all ends?"

"Fun, I can do," Sameen smirked, their lips dangerously close to each other. Root looked into Sameen's eyes and couldn't tell what she was thinking. Fun, was going to be ok if that was what Sameen was willing to give. Root would take it. She leaned down and kissed Sameen on the lips. Sameen pulled Root's hips to her. "Do you want to repay the favor of our first night?"

"Thats something I can never forget," Root rested herself on Sameen's lap. Their hands fumbled and Root let Sameen pull the sweater over her head.

"I can't forget that either," Sameen smiled and Root smiled back. Sameen pulled Root in for another kiss.

 **...**

The light filtered in from the curtains of the window. Shaw rolled over on her side to find Root laying next to her, completely undressed. She looked peaceful as she slept. It was hard to believe that Root was a hired assassin. You could pass her at the gas station just thinking she was a teacher or something but here she was having nearly killed Shaw and several orgasms later. She was beautiful. Of all the people that could have wondered into Shaw's life, Root was one of them.

Shaw had to admit that this was a first. Root was just going up on Shaw's three strikes rule and Shaw wouldn't mind if Root went on to a forth or a fifth. It wasn't just the sex or the adrenaline. Root was interesting, she was hot, and most important, she actually didn't mind spending time with her. That was another first. Root didn't push her to emotionally reciprocate. It was a relief to be in someones presence and just be without question.

"Morning," Root had woken up, she smiled at Shaw. She still looked a little sleepy, "Were you watching me sleep?"

"No." Shaw lied. She rolled back over on her back and stared at the ceiling. She could hear Root rustling in the blankets beside her. When Shaw turned to face Root, she was on her side looking back at her. She looked like she wanted to say something but she was holding back from saying it.

"Well?" Shaw asked.

"Your... beautiful," Root whispered. She seemed like she didn't want to scare Shaw away. Shaw froze, she didn't want to tell Root that she was thinking the same thing about her. Root seemed to have gotten the message that she had done something wrong and she sat up on the bed, pulling the blankets away from her as she was getting ready to leave.

"Shaw," She heard Root say and she sat up too, "Shaw wake up," This time the voice didn't belong to Root.

No, this couldn't be Root. She never actually told Root her full name.

 **...**

Shaw opened her eyes, Cole was nudging her awake.

"We are about to land," he pointed out of the window of the plane. The morning had been a dream but the night she had spent with Root in the safe house was real. It was the reason why she didn't really get that much sleep. What had actually happened that morning was way less... intimate? Shaw was slightly agitated that her subconscious wanted Root to call her beautiful... as Root basked in the soft morning light, both still fading from the effects of their afterglow. What the actual hell.

What actually happened was they both only ended up getting an hour of sleep at most. Sameen had found herself dozing off next to Root on the queen sized bed. She was quickly woken up when Root had got up to get a drink of water. It had seemed like something was bothering her.

"A black car has been parked outside for several hours," Root had said. She had gotten a navy robe out from the closet and draped it around herself and found another one for Shaw. "I think their here for Andrews."

"Your not Andrews," Shaw pointed out.

"I know, but this is her safe house."

"You didn't."

"I did," Root had smiled, her amusement clearly evident. "You can't blame me for wanting to play house."

Five minutes later and a smoke grenade clouded their vision in the living room. It turned out the Chinese diplomates had a score to settle with Andrews.

"Hey, I think you should leave now," Root had said as they made their way to the back door of the house.

"Are you kidding?" Shaw turned to Root. She wasn't just going to leave Root hanging like this.

"Sameen, this is a conflict of interest. You work for the government, if you accidentally kill one of these guys it will look horrible," Root had said.

"Root." Shaw rolled her eyes but she knew Root was right.

"I know this is a bad time to tell you but I think I'm going to stay out of political intrigue for awhile." Root opened the backdoor.

"That would make my life easier," Shaw had pulled Root out the door with her but Root pulled away.

"That means I might not see you for awhile," Root said, she handed Shaw her Glock, "I have something I want to look into and I'm thinking of disappearing off the grid for awhile."

"Root-" Shaw started.

"Sorry Sameen," Root interrupted and quickly pulled Shaw in for a kiss, "Now run, I'll buy you some time." Root had disappeared back inside the house. That was the last time Shaw had seen Root.

Back in the present, Shaw buckled her seatbelt as the plane was about to land. Cole did the same. This time, he had taken the window seat. He looked out the window and stretched.

"Its good to be back in New York," he yawned.

"Yeah, home sweet home," Shaw said but her thoughts still hadn't left Washington.


	4. Chapter 4: Aftermath

**Summary:** There are major consequences for Shaw after the contents of the hard drive turn her life upside down. Chapter follows Relevance with a different twist.

 **Chapter 4: Aftermath**

It's strange how life could change so suddenly. Shaw was waiting for a photo kiosk to open up at a 24 hour Walgreens. It was midnight but a pair of teenagers were hogging the kiosk and shifting through their phone, giggling at pictures of themselves. Shaw really wasn't for this sentimental crap. She wasn't doing this for herself. The teenagers left and Shaw stepped up to the device.

Shaw stuck in the memory card and started following the prompts. She made sure to crop out any images of herself. After several minutes she finally got to the one from the night of the masquerade. Cole was dressed up and smiling, he had asked Shaw to take a picture of him to send to him later. She never did. His parents would get a kick out of it... or at least thats what Shaw thought would happen. Her mother used to always like to go through pictures of her father after he died. She didn't really care for the pictures one way or the other.

The kiosk asked her to enter in her phone number to alert her when the pictures would be ready to check out. Shaw did and walked through the store while she waited, she made sure to pick up an extra gallon of milk. Ten minutes later, she checked out at the photo booth and walked out onto the street. She took the bus to her apartment.

"Sameen, I'm really sorry. I didn't know that that would happen," Root's voice echoed back in Shaw's memory of that night. After Cole had died, Shaw received an anonymous phone call. "I would have never have given you that hard drive if I'd known," Root had said on the other line but Shaw had hung up as soon as she said it. She had taken out the memory card and smashed it to pieces.

She hadn't thought about that night Cole died in awhile. They were ambushed during a mission that was set up by the very people they worked for. The only thing reminding her of it was the annoying gut wound that wouldn't close up and a scrap of paper with a phone number. The man in the glasses said that he'd pick up the phone if she'd call. Shaw didn't give a shit about the man and his watchdog in a suit. She could take care of herself. Anyway she had forgotten about it and was too busy trying to pick up a new life.

Shaw knew it was best to hang low for awhile so she decided to stay in a small town in nowhere Texas. If things got bad and if her alias became compromised she could hop the border to Mexico. Although two weeks in and this place was getting boring, that phone number that the guy in the glasses gave her was becoming more appealing by the day.

Once she got up to her place she put the milk in the fridge and poured herself a glass of whiskey. She gulped down the liquid, grabbed an empty envelope, and placed the pictures inside. She addressed it to Cole's parents' and didn't bother to write a return address. She'd mail it off in the morning.

 **...**

Root had found out about Cole's request for an internal investigation too late. If she had been watching, she would have stopped him and none of this would have happened. Better yet, she would have never have given him the hard drive to begin with. She had thought it was Shaw's and Cole's right to know who they were actually working for. Root didn't know that Cole would have been careless with the information. It was a reminder of how imperfect and unpredictable humans could be. Not that she needed that reminder already.

Root had been under an alias of Ms. May for the past couple of weeks. She wanted to know any information she could get out of her new boss, Special Council. Unfortunately, she had found out that Sameen was going to be terminated... literally. She managed to get out a warning to Sameen and Cole from her office desk after hearing about the kill order. That was all she was able to do. She had lost trace of Sameen after that.

The next few days, Root got small pieces of information. She had bugged Special Council's office and heard that Sameen had been injured. Root managed to get a phone call through to her but was promptly hung up on. The next piece of information she got was that Sameen had made a special stop to see Special Council herself. Shaw had handed back the information Root had given Cole, and killed someone named Wilson. Root had nothing to worry about, she thought.

The next day Sameen was reported dead.

Root felt numb. She had been listening in at her desk as her boss was talking to someone named Hersch. She took leave, reporting to be sick and went back to her hotel room. Immediately, she looked through every possible way she could think of to find out if this information was true. She found three names that picked up Sameen's body; Detective Joss Cater. Detective Lionel Fusco, and an EMT named Leon. It was best to stay away from the detectives for the time being but she decided to pay Leon a visit. He'd be easier to deal with.

"You're crazy, lady," Leon said, as he pulled at his handcuffed wrist. He was easy to find, all she had to do was swipe right and send a message on his Tindr account. They were now eating diner outside a decent New York restaurant. Root had handcuffed his wrist to her's so he wouldn't run.

"Have you seen this woman?" Root was leaning over the table casually, her phone's screen was facing him. A picture of Shaw flipping off the camera over a sizzling steak filled the screen. Root had managed to take one picture that night. She could have used security footage but Root liked this picture. Everything about it reminded her of Sameen.

"You're with them?" Leon shook his head and was ready to stand up. Root put pressure on the handcuff reminding him that anywhere he was going, she was going too.

"Not exactly," Root said as she put her phone back in her pocket.

"I need a vacation," Leon sighed, "Yeah, I know her. She's crazy too, almost killed me, stranded me in a cemetery. I didn't even get paid, how messed up is that?" Lean picked at his unfinished chicken with his fork. He looked like he was about to say something else but Root spoke first.

"Is she alive?" Root's voice shook, the more he started to talk the more hopeful she started to feel. Leon looked at her puzzled at first. Slowly, it started to look like he realized he had made a mistake.

"N-no, dead as ever," He took a bite of the chicken, fear started to inch into his eyes as he placed his hand back down on the table, "It's a shame that she just collapsed on the sidewalk like that."

"Uh-huh," Root urged him to go on, it looked like he was still hiding something from her. She read the report and she knew Shaw. Root knew it was all a lie.

"She was so young, so pretty, so crazy-" He was midway into the sentence when Root lodged her steak knife between his fingers, "Your crazy, let me go!," He almost shrieked as the knife stuck dangerously close to his middle and ring finger.

"Is she alive?" Root repeated.

"Yes, she's alive," Leon winced as Root pulled the steak knife from the table "Lady, I just want to go home now." He finished as Root smiled, feeling genuinely relieved as she buttered a roll with the knife. He squirmed uncomfortably as his hand was forced to move forward with Root's and the handcuff.

"Do you know where she went?" Root asked.

"No, she took off in an ambulance." Leon winced.

"Do you know what name she was going by?" Root placed the roll on his plate and buttered another one for herself.

"No," He looked up at her, "Thats all I know, it was just one quick favor, ok?" Leon's eyes were pleading. Root believed him, she could tell he wasn't the type to hold secrets if his life was threatened. She'd met so many people like him throughout the years, his eyes said it all. Root took one bite of the roll and stood up. She undid the handcuff to her wrist and attached her end to his chair. She pulled out her purse and threw a stack of cash on the table.

"For your trouble." Root winked and then caught the eye of a waitress in the back. Root waived her down and then looked back at Leon. "Ok, her name is Jennifer and she has a thing for handcuffs and teacup poodles. Smile, tell her about Mr. Fluff and you'll have a better date with her than you did with me today."

"Mr. Fluff died eight years ago. How do you know that?" Leon looked at Root in disbelief.

"I have my ways." Root smiled and walked away.

 **...**

Shaw was in the cramped bathroom of her new apartment. She winced as she removed the gaze from her stomach that was caked with blood. She hadn't let it heal properly. She was too busy settling a score with Wilson, dying was pretty eventful, and so was hauling what was left of herself down to Texas. She reached for a wash cloth on the sink and let it soak in warm water when she heard a knock on her door. She pulled down her black tank top over her stomach and reached for her gun. The black fabric hiding the steady flow of blood from a poorly cared for stitch job.

She wasn't expecting anyone and it was too soon for anyone to notice that she wasn't actually dead. When she looked through the eyepiece of the door, she was annoyed to see the tall lanky figure that was standing on her doorstop. Out of all the people in the world to actually find Shaw, she wasn't the least bit surprised that it had to be her.

"Root?" Sameen said as she opened the door once she saw Root, lowering the gun and tucked it behind her jeans. Shaw only opened the door for one reason. She wanted to slam it back in Root's face. Root looked back at her with a lopsided smile and a slight twinge of relief in her eyes. She was standing there almost as if she hadn't been the cause of all of Shaw's troubles. Fuck, Root was so annoying.

"Sameen, I thought you were-" Root started and Shaw didn't wait for her to finish. She slammed the door in Root's face with a bang. "-dead," Root's voice sounded small on the other side of the door.

"Go away, Root." Sameen leaned on the door. Her pain medications were beginning to wear off. As soon as Root left, Shaw was going to grab a bottle of whiskey and take a nap. She didn't want to see Root, her head was clouded in pain and all she wanted to do right now was strangle the woman on the other side of the door. She was angry but she wasn't sure if it was just because of the pain or because of Cole.

The worst of it was that it didn't really bother her that she would never see Cole again.

That's what made her angry. Shaw had felt the same way when her father died. She knew it wasn't normal and she knew why. It made her perfect at her job but horrible at relationships. Now she didn't have a job and Root didn't need to be standing on her doorstep. Hell, Root was even the one who caused all this. Shaw didn't understand her angle. Then the pain emanating from her gut was also becoming unbearable.

Shaw stood frozen leaning on the door. Why was she even thinking about this? How was the words Root and relationship even in the same thought process? Root was probably just here to finish the job that Wilson could not. She was probably just here to kill Shaw.

"Sameen, I'm sorry," Root said through the door, "Please let me in."

"I said, go away." Shaw repeated.

"Sameen, you know a lock won't keep me out," Root said. Shaw froze and thought about it for a moment. Root was right, if she wanted too, Shaw was pretty sure she couldn't stop Root from breaking in later anyway.

Shaw's life had turned upside down and she was unsure on what to do for her next move. She couldn't tell if Root had actually planed this whole mess all along. They had been trying to kill each other for awhile. So, if Root had planned to kill her... she technically succeeded? As far as anyone else knew, Shaw was dead.

Or if this was something else? What would Shaw do then? Shaw didn't do relationships, she couldn't love or grieve the way everyone else seemed to. She'd just let Root die like everyone else in her life and the worst part was that she didn't care. Root would just end up with no one to mourn for her like how Shaw couldn't morn for her father or Cole. No one deserved that.

"I thought this is what you wanted." Shaw opened the door slightly. That weird intimate steak dinner they had at Andrew's safe house was a miscalculation on Shaw's part. It was easier to think that Root just wanted to get in her pants one more time and let Shaw's own company do the dirty work of killing her and Cole without getting blood on her own hands. Logically, it was easier for Root to play her and have the people that trained them, knowing all their weaknesses, to actually dispose of them. Root could then take the cash and have Shaw out of her hair for good. Yeah, that had to be it. Shaw hoped that was it because she didn't know what to do if Root was really falling for her.

"What I wanted?" Root looked at her confused.

"To kill me," Shaw growled, "Well, technically I'm dead or are you here to finish the job?"

"Sameen, this is not what I wanted at all." Root pushed at the door slightly and Shaw opened it, letting her in. Shaw closed the door behind her. The living room was empty besides a small sofa and an old tv. Letting Root in now was better than later.

"Then what do you want?" Shaw walked over to her small kitchen and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"Sameen, I like you. I really like you," Root said as she stood in the middle of the living area. "That's why I asked you to the safe house that night."

"Sure, and that's why you got Cole killed too?" Shaw took a swig of the whiskey and lifted up her tank top to pour some on her wound, "That's some way to woo a girl."

"No, I didn't mean-how can I show you that I don't want to hurt you?" Root walked up to Shaw in the kitchen and grabbed a napkin to wipe the extra whiskey that was dripping from Shaw's side. Shaw didn't like the way this was going. It would be easier if Root wanted to kill her.

"You can do it now," Shaw reached for a large knife that was resting on the kitchen counter, "Stop playing games, stop playing with your prey. I don't do that." Shaw handed Root the knife.

"Sameen?" Root looked into Shaw's eyes, she looked hurt at Shaw's accusations. This was a nightmare but then again Root was good at what she did. She was able to become whatever alias she needed at a drop of a hat. Maybe this was all a trick? Again, Shaw didn't want Root to actually like her. Life was easier when they were trying to kill each other.

"Show me what you want," Shaw said moving Root's hand with the knife between them, "Kill me." Shaw finished.

Root just stood and looked at the knife as Shaw placed her hand between them. It was evident that the mood in the room grew tense. What Shaw wanted was for Root to lunge at her with the knife. She knew how to react to that, she'd block it and counter, it was something that Shaw was familiar with. Instead, Root looked back at Shaw and placed the knife over her own throat. She looked at Shaw square in the eye without hesitation.

"If this is what it takes to show you." Root added pressure and a thin line of blood appeared under the blade. Shaw immediately reached for Root and took the blade out of her hand. She looked back at Root, now cupping her hand over her neck with a lopsided smile.

"You're so damn irritating," Shaw moved away from Root and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know what to fucking do with you."

"Then, you believe me?" Root asked, she still kept her distance. Shaw believed her but she didn't know what to do with the rest of the information.

"I don't know." Shaw threw the knife in the sink. Her stomach wound was starting to bother her more and Root's presence was becoming more than irritating. Her anger was rising and she needed to rest. She didn't want to deal with Root but somehow Root just kept on coming back. "Get out."

"Can I just-" Root started.

"Get the fuck out." Shaw was shoving Root towards the door. Shaw opened the front door and pushed her out. She could deal with Root some other time but right now she just couldn't be around her. Shaw was angry, in pain, and just didn't want to think about Root and what her presence here means. She slammed the door in Root's face for a second time that night.

 **...**

Root stood outside Shaw's apartment. Well, after all that had happened, Root was glad Shaw was alive. She didn't care if Shaw hated her right now. Knowing that she was alive was enough. Root walked back to the parking lot of the apartment complex and got into an old 1970's Ford F-250. It had been her mother's truck. Root zipped up her leather jacket and leaned against the door. She'd wait for Sameen to come out in the morning to try again. The last thing Root remembered before drifting off to sleep was watching a black cat scurry across the parking lot.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Root woke up when she heard a voice and knocking on her window. She must have fallen asleep. Sameen was outside her window with a look of annoyance. It was still dark and Root looked down at her from the driver's side window.

"Getting some shut-eye." Root sat up and stretched, her whole arm was stiff. She rolled down the window manually, "Still mad, sweetie?"

"Why are you still here?" Shaw was deflecting the question but she looked less angry than she did in the apartment, "Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of."

"Very poetic, Sameen," Root said, "We are already in the hole I crawled out of." Root turned to Sameen and only got a puzzled look in return.

"Stop being weird and get out of that piece of junk." Shaw opened the driver's side door. Root had left the truck unlocked the entire time and she almost fell out of the truck in surprise.

"Didn't know you cared," Root said as she followed Sameen back to her apartment without protest. She was sure she saw Sameen flinch at the response.

"Don't push it, I don't want the cops poking around because some strange woman died in her truck," Sameen said as she made it back to the door, "I don't care if its Texas, it still gets cold out here during the winter and your inside a gigantic tin can," She opened the door to her apartment. Root knew that was a lie. She would have been uncomfortable but it wasn't near cold enough to actually kill her.

Sameen closed the door behind them and disappeared in the tiny hallway. Root waited until Sameen appeared with a pillow and a blanket. She tossed it on the sofa, "You're sleeping in here."

"Oh, I bet it would be a lot warmer if we share." Root wiggled her eyebrows and Sameen just rolled her eyes. It had become less tense than it had been a few hours earlier. Root felt comfortable joking around again as she watched Sameen storm off to the bedroom without another word. Hey, it was a start. She didn't get kicked out again.

Root stared at the ceiling for a while as she laid on the couch. She didn't know what caused Shaw's sudden change of mind. She got up and walked to the master bedroom. The door was left ajar and she could see the outline of Shaw under the blankets. Seeing that Shaw was alive had been a relief. Humans were just bad code but Shaw was different. She was unlike anyone Root had ever met.

Root woke up on the sofa, her legs too long to properly stretch out, she had them tucked into her stomach. She could hear Sameen moving around behind her in the kitchen. When she sat up she saw two plates set out for them on the coffee table. More rustling was heard and a clattering of plates when Sameen emerged out of the corner of Root's eye. She set a stack of pancakes down on the coffee table and shoved a mug of warm coffee into Root's hands. The mug was warm but not scalding.

"About time, sleeping beauty." Sameen plopped down next to Root and immediately started stacking her plate with pancakes. She got up again to get the maple syrup and butter while Root was left sipping on her coffee. It always took awhile for Root to fully wake up. Shaw was back again with the maple syrup and poured it over her pancakes while Root served herself one. "Now that we're getting chummy, my full name is Sameen Shaw," Sameen took Root's fork and stacked three pancakes on Root's plate and handed the fork back.

"Shaw, I like it," Root smiled, she could have dug deeper into Shaw's files as Ms. May but she decided against it. Having Sameen willingly give her this information was way more satisfying. She took a bite of the pancakes and they ate side by side silently. She didn't really finish the three pancakes and scooted the plate to Shaw who finished them in seconds.

Root had gathered up the dishes when they were done and rinsed them out in the sink. Shaw came by and helped load them into the dishwasher. This morning was nice, Root wouldn't mind spending every breakfast like this.

"Can I ask, what are you going to do now?" Root asked as Shaw put the last plate in.

"Hell if I know, I'm bored out of my mind here." Shaw shrugged and leaned against the sink.

"I can see that," Root stepped a little closer but Shaw extended her hand and kept them a good arms length apart, "I have to leave in a few days, I'm kinda a secretary to one of your old boss's." Root shrugged. She was kind of disappointed at Shaw's reluctance but she wasn't going to push her. If anything, Root deserved to get pushed back.

"Why am a not surprised," Shaw said and dropped her hand.

"Oh, you know me." Root smiled, she wanted to get closer but she forced herself to not budge. Shaw looked deep in thought across from her and Root wasn't exactly sure why. Root wanted to ask why the change in heart of letting her in but she was afraid of the answer. She knew that after all that happened that Shaw had a lot to think about and that Root was extremely lucky to be sitting here with her now.

"I can't do this." Shaw said bluntly after a moment of silence.

This was Root's worst fear, Shaw not wanting her. Well, second worst fear behind Sameen actually dying. She never wanted to make Shaw feel uncomfortable. She wasn't sure what set this off, the fact that Root inadvertently got Cole killed, that she was working for Special Council, or that she was pushing their personal boundaries.

"Can't do what, sweetie?"

"This," Shaw motioned with her hand, "Early morning pancakes. You. Relationships."

"I'm not asking for that." Root watched Shaw's body language closely. She was ready to step back at anytime.

"I see that look on your face," Shaw pointed, "I don't get that. I don't get happy, I don't get sad, you know what I felt when Cole died?" Shaw paused and waited for Root to respond.

"Shaw?"

"Nothing. I felt nothing." Sameen interrupted and waited for Root to respond.

Several seconds passed. Root thought that Shaw was probably waiting for Root to have some kind of negative reaction. Early on Root knew that Shaw had a personality disorder, she had known before the safe house. She meant it when she said that a traditional relationship wasn't what she was looking for. Root didn't care, she liked Shaw just the way she was.

"Sameen, I'm not asking that of you," Root held out her hand for Shaw until Shaw took it, seemingly a little confused at Root's reaction. Root felt like she could push this a little further as Shaw held no indication of wanting to pull away. Root stepped up to Shaw and leaned down to kiss her on the lips, gently. Shaw didn't kiss back but she didn't pull away either.

"Remember the safe house?" Root broke away.

"Yeah," Shaw said, still unreadable.

"You don't mind getting shot at once in awhile, right?"

"Don't mind at all."

"Then that's all I'm asking," Root stayed close to Sameen, "I'm not asking for something normal. Its just nice to have someone else along for the ride. You okay with that?"

"Ok, yeah, nice not having orders to kill you all the time too." Shaw nodded, still looking like she was deep in thought.

"I don't know, thought that part was a little fun," Root smiled and dipped her head down again to kiss Shaw. Shaw kissed back this time, pushing her tongue between Root's lips. Root could feel Shaw's body become less tense under her and she knew that Shaw was making up her mind. It would still be an uphill climb to gain Shaw's trust, if she ever had it to begin with, but at least Shaw was open to her.

"Hm-why'd you stop?" Shaw looked up at Root when Root pulled away.

"Do you want to help me find a god?" Root changed the subject.

"If you would have opened with that line at the front door, you're sorry ass would be still frozen in that blue tin can outside."

"Glad I didn't then," Root smiled.

"Fine, whatever, just tell me where to shoot."


	5. Chapter 5: Future Starts Slow

**Summary:** Root and Shaw are finally working together while getting some help from The Machine.

 **Chapter 5: Future Starts Slow**

"I can't believe you shot me," Root said, looking through a cardboard moving box.

Shaw was watching her, sitting on her newly assembled bed. They were both back in New York and unpacking inside Shaw's new apartment. Shaw had decided to track down Harold. She was now working for him and his lap dog, John.

"Had to make it believable." Shaw got up; she lifted the box up and brought it to the kitchen table so Root would have an easier time rummaging through it. "I can't believe Harold put you in the funny farm."

"I can't believe you got me out after that performance," Root smiled and pulled out some dishes one at a time. One of her arms was out of commision and in a cast.

Sameen agreed to help Root find The Machine. It wasn't like Shaw had anything else better to do. It was also hard to believe how caught up Root had gotten in this. Shaw hadn't realized Root would put her life in danger just to find the equivalent of Skynet. Root went from poisoning politicians to having a life mission of setting AI's free but then again she was Root. She always did the unexpected.

Root also didn't have a sense of self preservation. Shaw had found this out early on. The first time Shaw had met Root she had knowingly walked into a trap set by Shaw just because she had thought Shaw was hot wearing nothing but skimpy lingerie. Root managed to flirt her way out of that situation and a year later here they were.

Root's last plan had gone less smoothly. Shaw was working for Harold and John but she was also working with Root without the two's knowledge. Root had said that it would work out better that way but in the end they didn't find the location of The Machine, Shaw had to shoot Root in order to keep up her cover, and Harold had thrown Root in the funny farm.

Looking at Root from across the room, it looked like the events from the last couple of weeks didn't phase her. Root didn't notice Shaw watching her. She looked happy for once since their mission failed. Shaw remembered the forlorn look in Root's eye's after they had found out The Machine had moved and it was something Shaw didn't want to remember.

Root had completely shut down and Shaw couldn't do anything about it. At the same time Harold had admitted Root into Stoneridge Hospital. Trusting Root, Shaw had to leave her in there until she got an anonymous call giving her the all clear to bail her out. Later, Shaw had learned that the call had come from The Machine.

The Machine also contacted Root. It was surprising that an AI could plan Root's escape on her own but Shaw wasn't going to ask questions, she just wanted Root to be happy. Since The Machine contacted them, Root had stopped taking on clients and started taking on numbers that weren't filtered through to Finch.

Root had just gotten back from one of those numbers. Shaw hadn't asked what the number was about and Root didn't talk about it. She had arrived in the middle of the night holding a suitcase with a lopsided grin on her face. They had just woken up and Root had just started unpacking Shaw's moving boxes that she had neglected to touch since she got to New York.

"Get over here," Shaw motioned with her hand. In the days at Stoneridge, Shaw was sure Root hadn't bothered to mess with her bandages. She plopped down her first aid kit. Root was horrible about taking care of her own wounds and was always forgetting when to clean them.

"Want to kiss it and make it better?" Root sauntered up to Shaw with a smile. This was nice. This moment, having Root here with her, patching each other up, having a slow day, and the possibility of a long night together. Shaw filed this information to the back of her mind but she'd never tell Root this.

"Shut-up," Shaw said, she let a smile reach her lips and that's all she'd let Root know. She wouldn't say it in words that she was really enjoying this closeness.

"Thank you Sameen, for not blowing your cover and letting the boys know we are working together," Root said, resting her good hand on Shaw's shoulder.

"Yeah, whatever, better me than John. Kneecaps never heal back the same." Shaw ignored how close Root was and how she was dipping her head, wanting a kiss. Shaw was intending on teasing Root. She pulled back the gauze on Root's shoulder wound.

The wound was just a graze. Shaw was an expert marksman and she knew she could never trust anyone else with a shot like the one she pulled. She did have to put in a few stitches though and she dabbed a medicated cotton ball over the wound.

"I knew you cared, sweetie." Root flinched slightly as the cotton ball touched her shoulder. "I know Harold would never trust me. He just needs to trust you."

"So, you two met before?" Shaw asked, finishing up and unraveling the fresh gauze to put on Root's shoulder.

"Yeah, you can say that. I kinda kidnapped him." Root's nose scrunched up as she delivered that last line. It was kinda enduring as Shaw was starting to become familiar with Root's quirks.

"Is that how you react to all the people you want to get to know better?" Shaw stood back and admired her work on Root's shoulder.

"You mean, because I poisoned you?" Root teased.

"Should I be flattered?"

"Absolutely," Root said her smile never left and then she froze. Her eyes moved away from Shaw's to the corner of the room, a far off expression took over her features.

"The Machine speaking to you?" Shaw asked, she was getting used to this too.

"Your phone is going to ring," Root reached behind to Shaw's back pocket and pulled out Shaw's cell phone. It started ringing and Root handed it to Shaw. Staying close, she put her hand back in Shaw's pocket and Shaw let her stay.

"Hello?" Shaw said, turning her head to the side as she felt Root dig her hand into her backend. Root was just teasing her and she knew that Root was aware that Harold was on the other line. He was giving her directions to meet John for a new number. When Shaw hung up and looked back at Root, she knew she didn't have to say anything.

"Off to work, Sameen?" Root tilted her head. The one thing Shaw was going to have a hard time getting used to was having Root know everything before it actually happened. Root had called it "God mode," like the way you play in video games and Shaw guessed that that definition fit. It wasn't something that Shaw completely understood but she could except it.

"Yeah," Shaw said, removing Root's good hand from her back pocket and reaching for her coat from on the top of the bed. She pulled it on and Root helped her zip it up with her good arm.

"I'll have Chinese takeout when you get back."

Shaw huffed, not knowing what else to say, she pulled Root down for a fast kiss and marched off to the front door of the apartment to leave.

"Hey, sweetie, it didn't feel like you meant it," Root caught up to Shaw at the front door. She waited until Shaw had finally stopped walking and reached her hand up to Shaw's chin and tilted her chin up, placing a kiss on her until Shaw parted her lips, letting Root inside, kissing her breathless.

"Better?" Shaw asked, pulling away, enjoying the way Root always seemed to get to her when she teased her.

"Better." Root stepped back so Shaw could reach for the doorknob.

Shaw closed the door to Root and her new apartment behind her. When Root asked her to help her search for a 'god,' Shaw wasn't planning on returning to New York. Her old life and new life seemed to be tangled together.

Root was on a mission to set 'The Machine' free and Shaw was just trying to pick her life up where it had fallen apart. She no longer had missions to save the nation but she was helping Harold and John save a few people. This wasn't her ideal job but she guessed it kept her busy. They also had a dog so that was a plus. Then, maybe, making sure Root didn't have any permanent injuries would help her keep busy too.

She'd try to keep these new worlds apart for as long as she could. Shaw knew Root, Horald, and John didn't mix well. Root had caused some permanent trust issues the same way the two of them had trust issues in the beginning. It wasn't something that would mend overnight.

"Guess this is the place," Shaw knocked on the door to a car window and waited in the cold street. It had just finished raining and a chill was still in the air. Shaw could see her breath as she spoke and knew this watch wasn't going to be comfortable.

"Hi, Shaw," Reese said in his Batman like voice and tight smile. He stretched and handed Shaw the binoculars he was holding.

"The day watch is all yours," he pointed to a building across the way, "Third window to the right, the number is that man in the blue shirt. His name is Kyle Johnson."

"Fun," Shaw said sarcastically as she took John's place inside the car. Harold had briefed her on the number and they were just playing the waiting game. John had taken the night shift ahead of her and was going to leave and get some much deserved rest. She wasn't too sure if she was going to get any action during her shift but the possibility was always welcome.

 **...**

Shaw returned back to her apartment at midnight. Nothing exciting had happened with the number and John had returned to take the night shift. Shaw walked in the door and kicked her boots off to the side, sliding her bluetooth earpiece out of her ear. The last thing she wanted was for Harold or John to find out she was talking to Root.

"Hey, Root?" Shaw said in the darkness as she turned on the lights. She expected to see Root sleeping in the bed but no one was there. All the boxes were unpacked and folded in the corner. Upon further inspection, Shaw found a note pinned on the refrigerator.

 **Sameen,**

 **Had a last minute change of plans. Takeout is in the fridge. We'll have some fun tomorrow night, promise.**

 **Xoxo,**

 **ROOT**

Shaw looked at the letter and blinked. She didn't really expect Root to stay here all the time. Root had her own life and her own missions and Shaw respected that. Root was a big girl, she could take care of herself. They also both respected each others space and decisions.

The takeout was right where Root said it was and Shaw opened the bag and placed the food in the microwave. She got out a shaker bottle and filled it with her favorite protein powder. Finally, she sat down at her table and had an extremely late diner. In the middle of the meal, she got out her phone and checked the news.

Shaw's phone buzzed in the middle of reading the scores from last night's football game. It was from Root and all the text said was an address. It looked like Shaw wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. The address was the location of the number Shaw had been watching earlier. It looked like John was going to need back-up. She placed her bluetooth back in her ear exited her apartment.

When Shaw arrived at the scene it was complete chaos. The quiet building that Shaw had watched during her stakeout was now on fire. Smoke was rising from the windows and flames could be seen in the lower windows. Shaw could see people running across the windows in the levels above. It looked like the fire department hadn't gotten to the location yet.

"Hey, Shaw, glad you can make it," a voice came behind Shaw and she immediately recognized that it was John.

"How the hell did this happen?" Shaw asked, wasn't John supposed to be watching the building? He should have prevented something like this from happening. That was their job after all.

"Long story, rocket launcher mishap, the number is inside. We also have a visit from our old friend." John hastily said before he took off.

"Old friend?" Shaw said as she watched John disappear behind the building.

"Root." John said through her bluetooth.

Shaw felt the blood rush to her face in a slight twinge of anger. She didn't want a repeat of last time. Root still wasn't recovered fully and even if The Machine was talking to her she knew Harold wouldn't listen.

Quickly, Shaw took off towards the building. Downstairs was filled with smoke and Shaw was left to use her scarf to cover her face. Her eyes were watering and she could hardly see but she managed to find the stairs and make her way to the second level of the building.

The second story didn't have as much damage but the smoke was slowly starting to rise and it would be a matter of time before the flames started to spread to the second level. She tied the scarf around her nose and drew her handgun that she had hiding underneath her coat. She knew a gang of drug dealers where here somewhere to get the number.

Making her way to the apartment door of the number, she found that the front door had been kicked in. Checking her surroundings she carefully stepped inside, gun drawn. Inside waiting were five men and a familiar face.

Root stood in the middle between the men, John, and the number. From Harold's information, Shaw knew that the number was caught in the middle of not being able to pay off some drug money. John and Shaw were supposed to keep an eye on him until the thugs appeared to take the man's life. It was supposed to be an easy assignment. Nothing too complicated. They weren't dealing with Elias, HR, or the Russians so Shaw had no idea why Root would want to be involved in this at all.

"Looks like we have a party," Root smiled behind a mask. She had come well prepared into this situation. The smoke was starting to rise and John, the number, and the thugs were all starting to pick up a cough. Shaw was the second most protected from the smoke in the group but a scarf wasn't much protection at all.

"Root, I'm surprised to see you here," John said, holding back a cough.

"Oh, I'm not surprised to see you at all," Root's voice was sickly sweet, she didn't acknowledge that Shaw entered the room at all.

"What are you doing here?" Shaw asked, she was genuinely curious but she didn't expect to get a truthful answer.

"Same reason you're here," Root nodded towards Kyle, the number. He was starting to cough uncontrollably, "I'm here for Kyle."

"Sorry, for the inconvenience but he's not going anywhere," one of the thugs said, he brandished a knife, the other two thugs on the side pulled out a handgun each. The last couple of seconds became a blur. Instinctively Shaw fired at the thugs and John got Kyle behind him and pushed him out into the hallway.

Shaw followed John out the door, they were trying to get Kyle out before the cops and firemen showed up. Looking behind her, Shaw tried to see if Root was following them. There was only one way down to the main floor so Root only had one way to go. Shaw felt her stomach drop as she didn't see Root behind her.

John, Shaw, and Kyle made it down to the main floor from the back staircase and John was getting ready to shove Kyle to the back emergency staircase. Waiting, Shaw watched John push Kyle out the door.

"I'll meet you out there," Shaw said to John and then she turned back towards the staircase without waiting for an answer. She could barely see anything in the smoke and the fire was starting to spread. She could feel the heat on her skin but she could still tell that the flames hadn't reached where she was yet.

"Root!" Shaw called as she reached mid way up the staircase, she starting coughing but pushed herself ahead. She found Root in the hallway, clutching her side.

"Hi, sweetie," Root said as she saw Shaw make her way towards her.

Quickly, Shaw moved Root's hand and found blood on her fingers. "How did this happen?"

"Don't worry about it, Sameen. Its really all for show," Root said and covered her hand over the wound. Shaw just blinked back in disbelief, she didn't know what to do with Root sometimes. Knowing Root, she was probably planning something but for right now they needed to get out of there.

"What's the hold up?" A voice came from behind Shaw and a mask was thrust in front of her. John was standing next to both of them and Shaw appreciatively took the mask and put it on. It didn't completely protect against the smoke but it was better than a scarfe. "Come on, Finch wouldn't like it if we left these three here."

"What?" Shaw still wasn't used to how Harold and John operated. She would have just left these thugs here but Finch wouldn't have liked it if any of these guys would have died from smoke inhalation or from the fire.

"We'll each take one," John was already moving to the room they had been in and Root followed close behind them. Shaw rolled her eyes and followed them in, grabbed the closest guy to her under the arms, and followed John and Root out the door.

"Only two minutes," Root said ahead of Shaw, she was having a difficult time carrying one of the thugs. For one, she was injured and he was also the biggest of the three.

"Two minutes until what?" Shaw called from behind. Seconds later Shaw heard a snap. It sounded like the floor under them was starting to buckle.

"The fire is spreading on the left side of the building, it will reach where we are in two minutes." Root called back.

"Get a move on you two," John said ahead of both of them.

It was difficult carrying an unconscious grown man down a flight of steps without adding more injuries than he already had. It would have just been easier to chuck him down the staircase but Shaw refrained from that and made it down to the main floor and out the emergency exit. The fire department was setting up across the street and they managed to stay out of sight. They left the thugs in the grass behind the building and at a safe enough distance away. It would be a good spot for the police or firefighters to find them later on.

"Root, what are you doing here?" John said, glaring at Root. He seemed to be tense and had every reason to be uneasy around her.

"Thought you might need some help," Root shrugged, she looked pale, "You wouldn't have had time to make another trip for that last thug with just the two of you."

"The Machine gave you that information?" John asked.

"Don't be surprised big lug, she wants us to work together." Root smiled.

John just narrowed his eyes even more before tapping his bluetooth. He went over to the dumpsters where Kyle had been hiding.

"Finch, we have a situation…" That was all Shaw was able to hear as John started his report back to Finch.

"Hi, sweetie, told you I have been busy." Root raised her eyebrows. She looked like she was getting worse, she was extremely pale and her hand was still clutched to her side. Shaw caught her as her legs buckled under her.

 **...**

"Fucking hell, Root, what were you thinking?" Shaw wiped blood off Root's abdomen and pinched the sliced skin together. The wound was deep but it didn't look like the knife had hit any internal organs. It looked worse than it seemed, she had put her body under extreme stress in order to get an excuse for John to bring her back to their hideout.

"Hey, look, we match." Root smiled, her pain meds seemingly kicking in. Root was referring to the Shaw's gunshot wound that Shaw was still recovering from and now Root had a gut wound too.

"Harolds is not happy," Shaw said, taking out the needle for stitches.

"He was going to find out sooner or later that I was receiving numbers too. It might as well be sooner." Root closed her eyes. She was laying on her back on the floor of the library.

"You sure you want this?" Shaw motioned with her head to the locked bars surrounding Root. Harold had locked her in the library and refused to let her out for their own safety. "I can just let you out of here," Shaw said, she didn't understand why Root would want to be in here.

"No, Harold has to choose to let me out on his own," Root said, and grimaced when Shaw inserted the needle and pulled through the first stitch.

"Why can't we just do this number thing on our own?" Shaw asked, as she continued. She didn't understand why they needed to work with Harold and John. The Machine was also giving them numbers so Shaw didn't see the point in working with the boys.

"We work better as a team, Shaw," Root said, running a hand down Shaw's arm. "We couldn't have saved everyone in that building if we weren't working together."

"Ok, when did you start caring about other people?" Shaw grumbled, she let Root continue to rub her arm as she worked.

"The Machine wants us to work together," Root said and Shaw figured that that made more sense.

Both of them knew that they were alone in the library. They didn't have to worry about any prying eyes or needing to silence any devices. The Machine had become useful in letting them know who was around them. Root and Shaw allowed themselves to let their guard down and it was the only reason why Shaw was letting Root play with her arm as she worked.

"Whatever," Shaw huffed as she made the last stitch. Shaw got up and walked to a chair that she had draped Root's sweater over. She handed Root back the sweater and helped her put it over her head. Root still couldn't properly raise her arm over her head with her injured shoulder. Then, Shaw helped her back into her cast.

"Hmm, we sure are a bit of work, aren't we?" Root placed her good hand on Shaw's stomach. Shaw's own stitches came out weeks ago but she still felt occasional twinges of pain.

"Occupational hazards," Shaw said as she placed her own hand over Root's. Harold had left Shaw in charge of Root for the night, long enough to finish patching Root up and to leave her here for the night. But Harold didn't know that Shaw had no intention of leaving Root alone by herself. They had both managed to hide their significance to one another successfully.

"You know I'm not going to be able to go home with you for awhile?" Root moved her hand down to edge of Shaw's jeans. They knew that they had the whole place to themselves.

"I figured that, how long do you have to wait here?" Shaw asked, she wasn't looking forward to not having Root in her bed, picking up takeout, or just seeing Root hanging out in her apartment with her laptop. She was getting used to Root's presence.

"It might be a couple of weeks," Root said as she unbuttoned Shaw's jeans.

"When are they going to be back?" Shaw asked, she knew John had gone back to his apartment and Harold was off somewhere organizing a new identity for Kyle.

"Tomorrow morning at 5:45am. You wanna stay the night?" Root was smiling, "No one is going to walk in on us."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yeah." Root kissed along Shaw's temple.

"You know you almost passed out back there," Shaw said, knowing that Root's body might not be able to take too much.

"Oh, you concerned about me Shaw?"

"You wish." Shaw rolled her eyes.

"Then do exactly as I say and no one will get hurt." Root leaned over, whispering in Shaw's ear.

"Is that an order?" Shaw asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Root pushed Sameen away, "Open the lock, sweetie," Root teased.

Shaw smirked, taking the key out of her pocket, she unlocked the door and let Root walk through. Watching as Root walked over to Harold's desk and placing some loose notebooks and papers on the floor, Root finished and looked at Shaw expectantly.

"Finch isn't going to like it." Shaw walked over to Root. She liked where Root's mind was going.

"Exactly."

 **...**

Sunlight hadn't even filtered through the library's windows yet and Shaw was picking up her clothes from the floor. She pulled her tank top over her head and pulled her underwear and pants on. Gathering up the rest of the clothes, she pulled Root's pants from on top of an old globe. Something metallic fell to the floor and Shaw reached down to pick it up.

The object was a .45 bullet as Shaw took a closer look, she realized that it was hers as she shifted it around in her fingers. Root had kept the one that Shaw had given her after their first night together. At the time, it was meant to be more of a warning. Shaw didn't know that Root had actually kept it on her at all times.

They had slept together more times than Shaw could count now and Root still managed to keep it interesting. Root managed to add the unexpected to Shaw's life even if they weren't out to kill each other every time they met up. The spark was still there. Shaw was now entering a different chapter in her life and for the first time, she didn't mind if someone else was apart of it.

Shaw placed the bullet back in Root's pants pocket. She found that Root was still fast asleep on a sofa that was in the library. Root had taken the sofa and Shaw had taken the floor and they managed two hours of sleep after keeping each other up most of the night.

"Hey, Root, you need to get up." Shaw nudged Root until she slowly sat up, rubbing sleep from her eye's.

"It's five, we have forty minutes," Root said, pulling the blanket away from herself. She still had her sweater on because it was too much of a hassle trying to get it off her with her shoulder. She looked around for her skinny jeans until Shaw handed them to her.

"I'm going to get some breakfast, want anything when I get back?" Shaw asked. She was going to disappear and come back when Harold and John were supposed to be in and pretend as though she wasn't here all night.

"No, Harold is going to bring something by." Root pulled on her jeans, stretched, and walked back behind the bars of her makeshift prison.

Shaw didn't like it. She didn't like that Finch had her locked up and that he was treating her like a criminal. Root might deserve it but if Root didn't have such a high regard for him Shaw wanted to punch the glasses right off his face.

"Sameen, don't look at me like that. It's only temporary." Root rested her head against the bars and Shaw just huffed in response. She got the key out from her back pocket and locked Root back inside.

"I'll see you later," Shaw said, placing the key on top of Finch's desk. The only thing that made this satisfying was knowing what they were doing just hours ago on that same desk.

"See you later, Shaw." Root said as Shaw walked out of the Library.

Shaw came back at 7am, two hours later after a long walk and a good meal. Harold was sitting at his desk, typing away and almost looking distraught.

"Something the matter, Finch?" Shaw asked, holding back a smile from the memories of last night. She didn't see that John was anywhere in the room but she could make out Root out of the corner of her eye. She was still locked away. Shaw could tell that whatever was bothering Finch was something serious.

"I'm afraid Mr. Reese may be in trouble," Harold said as he looked up at Shaw. It felt like the tone of the room had changed with that sentence.

"What kind of trouble?" Shaw asked.

"Not the good kind." Root's voice came through from the other side of the room. "Let me help, Harry."

"No, that is unnecessary." Finch pulled his chair up closer to his monitors and Bear sat obediently beside him. He just typed away and didn't give Shaw any orders. Shaw didn't understand the meaning behind what he was doing. If John was in trouble they needed to do something now.

Shaw looked between Harold and Root. She knew that two perfectly good operatives were in this room and Finch was deciding to let Reese run into trouble on his own without backup. She knew he trusted Reese but it made no sense to let him get into trouble on his own. She didn't know Reese that well but she respected him and worked with him and that was enough reason for her to want to help in whatever kind of trouble he had gotten into.

"You know what, this is bullshit," Shaw got up and took the key off of Finch's desk.

"Miss Shaw?" Harold looked up at Shaw.

"We need Root, right now." Shaw said and handed Harold the key, "I don't know what kind of trouble Reese is in but Root was willing to take a knife for us."

"Miss Shaw, I highly advise against this." Harold put the key back on the desk and Shaw just picked it back up again.

"This is on me, got that Harold? If she does anything out of line, I will personally put her in a proper hospital." Shaw finished, and waited for a response from Harold.

He just sat there for a few seconds with his jaw clamped tight. Shaw had made sure that he had heard how Root protected the last number and helped them save those men.

"Miss Sh-"

"For John." Shaw interrupted Harold. The only card Shaw had left in her hand was that Finch cared more about getting Reese out of trouble than caring about letting Root escape.

"Alright, only because we are in dire circumstances. I trust that you will be good to your word and keep an eye on Miss Groves?" He said, looking at Shaw skeptically.

"Scouts honor." Shaw took that as a yes and took the keys. She headed to Root and unlocked the door.

"You won't regret this, Harry. I just know this is the start to a beautiful friendship." Root stepped out from behind the makeshift prison.

"I hope I won't regret this, Miss Groves. I'm sure The Machine has already informed you on Mr. Reese and Detective Carter's location?" Harold said cautiously.

"She has and she wants you to know that the probability of success just increased exponentially. There is a high chance that your little lap dog and his friend are going to be ok," Root said cheerily as she followed Shaw out of the library before Finch had a chance to change his mind.

"Is that what you call Harold choosing to let you out on his own?" Shaw slowed down and let Root catch up to her on the sidewalk. If Root was planning this from the start it was a little dramatic.

"It's a start, I know he will warm up to me someday."

"Maybe." Shaw shrugged.

"But isn't it nice to finally be working together instead of against each other?" Root now took the lead and was directing them down the sidewalk. Shaw trusted that Root knew where they were going. She still didn't know what was going on with Reese but she'd follow Root to wherever she pointed.

"Yeah." Shaw agreed as she followed Root down to the subway.

"You, me, The Machine, Harold, Bear, and the big lug. It's going to be a great team to be on."

"As long as I get to shoot something, I'm good with that," Shaw said, as they pushed passed people to get in a subway car.

"Always," Root smiled as they made it inside.

Shaw glanced at Root. It was hard for Shaw to believe that the chain of events of their first meeting would lead them to this moment. They were sleeping together, working together, and saving people together and Shaw wouldn't have it any other way.

The subway train started with a lurch and they were off. It was just the first of their many missions together working for The Machine.

 **-END-**


End file.
